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CASTING OUT THE EVIL SPIRITS- 




TABLE TIPPING. 



n. 



THE RAPPERS: 



OE, 



THE MYSTERIES, FALLACIES, AND ABSURDITIES OF 

SPIRIT-RAPPING, TABLE-TIPPING, AND 

ENTRANCEMENT. 



A SEARCHER AFTER TRUT H 




c ■- 



NEW-YORK: 
H. LONG & BROTHER, 

121 NASSAU-STREET. 






fx"^' 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year One Thousand Eight Hun- 
dred and Fifty-four, by H. LONG & BROTHER, in the Clerk's Office of 
the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New 
York 



a 1 f 



f f 



TO 



'thiswoek 

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 

"VVTTH THE EARNEST HOPE THAT IT WILL FORM A MITE TOWARDS 

DESTROYING A DELUSION WHICH IS DAILY WORKING 

EVIL AMONG THOUSANDS. 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK I. 

A CIRCLE OF VISITS AMONG THE RAPPERS. 

CHAPTER I. 

The Believers and their Belief. 

CHAPTER n. 
The Travelling Spirit. 

CHAPTER m. 

The Young Girl Mediums. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Grand Circle of Mediums. 

CHAPTER V. 

The Evil Spirits. 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Spirit of the Rev. John N. Maffit. 

CHAPTER Vn. 
Oliver Blodge, the Murderer. 

CHAPTER Vni. 
Pocahontas, and other Indians. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Spiritual Conference, Spiritual Believers, and Pickles. 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

The Spheres of the Spirit World — The Lower, or Infernal 
Sphere. 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Dream Spirit 

CHAPTER Xn. 

Spiritual Husband. 

CHAPTER XIII. 
The Circle in the Parlor — The Circle in the Attic. 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Family Raps. 

CHAPTER XV. 

The Lying Spirit. 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The Spirit of Fudge. 



BOOK II. 

THE RAPPERS CONTEMPLATED PLEASANTLY, PHILOSOPHI- 
CALLY, AND THEOLOGICALLY. 

CHAPTER I. 
The Rappers in the Congress of the United States. 

CHAPTER n. 
Philosophical Rap Preliminary. 

CHAPTER in. 

A Series of Philosophical Raps on the Rappers, or a Digest 

of Opinions. 

CHAPTER iY. 
Digest of Opinions continued — A Scientific Solution. 



CONTENTS. VU 

CHAPTER V. 

Another Scientific Solution. 

CHAPTER VI. 

A Little Philosophy and some Illustration of Spirit Language, 
Literature and Tactics. 

CHAPTER Vn. 

Ancient Rappers, Table Tippers, and Speaking Mediums. 

CHAPTER Vin. 

Demonology, Witchcraft and Spirit Rapping, Tipping and 

Entrancement. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Comments on the Author's Visit among the Rappers. 

CHAPTER X. 
The Religion of Rappers, and The Religion of Christ. 



PREFACE. 



In presenting to the public this volume on the subject of 
" Modern Spiritualism," as it is called, the author has only 
a few words to say. He made the series of visits among 
the " Rappers," comprised in Book I, with the single 
purpose of seeing and testing the nature of the " wonderful 
spirit manifestations" alleged to proceed from tables and en- 
tranced persons, and he has written down faithfully and truly 
all that he saw and heard. He has purposely mingled some 
pleasantry in his descriptions, but has never suffered that 
pleasantry to falsify a single word or manifestation alleged to 
have been uttered or exhibited by a spirit. As the table 
tipped, or as the raps came, he has described it, and as the 
alphabet or the entranced medium spoke, he has given it word 
for word. If the__ whole appears absurd on the face of it, and 
the alleged spirits look like very poor imitations, it is not the 
author's fault ; but it must be charged to the account of the 
tables, the raps, and the entrancements — must be ascribed in 
fact to some other and very different causes than voices from 



X PREFACE. 

the spirit world. The main part of the second book of this 
volume, is a compilation of the various philosophical theories 
which have been broached by others, in explanation of the 
"spiritual phenomena," and this compilation, together, with 
the author's visit among the " Rappers," and the contrast 
which he has drawn between the " religion of Rappers and 
the religion of Christ," will, he trusts, present the subject in a 
complete and satisfactory light before the reader. 



BOOK ]. 



A CIRCLE OF VISITS AMONG THE EAPPERS. 



THE RAPPERS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE BELIEVERS AND THEIR BELIEF. 

. In the city of New York, to which circle our personal 
investigation has been confined, there are, at the least 
calculation, forty thousand sincere believers in Spiritual 
Rappings. We cannot pretend to give the number of 
the disciples of this new Spiritual doctrine, scattered 
throughout other parts of the United States. It is suffi- 
cient to say, that it is immense, and far greater than the 
public generally imagine. These believers are to be 
found in every class of society from the highest to the 
lowest, and among minds of every degree of capacity 
and cultivation, from the most accomplished scholar 
down to the most ignorant of the ignorant. The rush 
to consult the spirits, both in what are called public and 
private circles, is so great, that, could New York be 
unroofed, either in the day or at night, a spectacle of 
Spirit Rapping would be exhibited, which would astound 
the public by the magnitude of its extent and almost 



14r THE EAPPEES. 

ceaseless continuance. From morning until noon, from 
noon until night, and from night until morning again, in 
parlors where flashing mirrors reflect rosewood, and 
velvet, and silver, and gold ; in humble rooms where 
the floors and walls are bare, the tables are placed, and 
around them, men and women, with their hands spread 
out, and eyes fixed as if on vacancy, are seated, wait- 
ing for communications from the Spirit World. 

And your true believer in Spiritual Rappings is a 
man to be noted and marked wherever he goes : Spirit- 
ual Rapping with him is a religion not put off* and on at 
intervals ; he is no Sunday professor of his belief, but 
an every day worker in it, sitting motionless alone in 
the solitude of his own room, going to private circles 
where he can get admittance, and spending his money 
freely at public ones — seeking and asking only for raps 
and communications from the spirits of the other world. 
And from morning until night, and from night until 
morning, whether he is at the circle, or sitting alone, or 
in his bed, or at work, he is expecting these raps and 
communications ; he is expecting to hear the spirits rap 
on tables, and from thence receive messages from them ; 
he expects to hear them tap on his bedpost, to feel them 
grasp, or jostle, or knock him in the street, in his store 
or shop, in his room — at all times and in all places, he 
is confidently expecting at any moment to be subject 
to direct spiritual influence — the world's material sub- 
stances and the bodies of m'ankihd also are, to him, but 
so many objects for the spirits of the other world to 
knock upon and thus communicate with mortals. Of 



THE EAPPEE8. 15 

such believers as above described, there are, as we said 
before, not less than forty thousand in the city of New 
York. We have, during our investigations, seen a num- 
ber of this description — seen them in circles and in pri- 
vate, conversed with them, and read the spiritual com- 
munications which they say, and sincerely believe, they 
have received. And we have seen such believers not 
only in the persons of young and credulous men and 
maidens, but in the persons of men and women where 
gray hairs and hard wrinkles had set the seal of age and 
incredulity; and in all, the devotion was complete and 
♦the faith boundless. Such being the believers, let us 
turn to a brief synopsis of their belief. 

The disciples of the Spiritual Rappings believe that, 
on the death of the body, the spirit passes into another 
world, the position of which, in the sphere of worlds, or 
the particular nature of which, they do not pretend to 
describe. They say that it is not Heaven, neither is it 
Hell ; it is not midway between the two, and it is not 
a place where God can be seen. They say it is rather 
a school of progress, where the spirit, when it first be- 
comes a real spirit, that is, when it is freed from the 
body, goes to learn and advance higher and higher, un- 
til it reaches perfection. They believe that this spirit 
world has seven spheres, and each sphere seven circles ; 
they believe also that 1.he world of mortals has its 
spheres and circles, and that in both this world and in 
the spirit world, the spirit of man occupies a higher or 
a lower sphere, according to its capability and purity. 
They believe that when a man dies his spirit passes into 



16 THE RAPPEES. 

that sphere of the spirit world corresponding the near- 
est to the sphere which he left in this world. They, 
therefore, as a natural consequence, believe that the 
spirit world is a most heterogenous place, full of good 
spirits and bad ones, highly developed and very igno- 
rant ones — all, however, mixing together, knowing of 
each others' movements — some quite miserable, some 
supremely happy, and others in a medium state— but 
all advancing, learning and growing better, through the 
successive circles and spheres, until they shall go be- 
yond the seventh. At this seventh sphere, the Spiritual 
Rapping believers pause : they profess, as far as we are 
now informed, no knowledge of the spirits beyond the 
seventh sphere of progress, as there has been no com- 
munication from the spirits on the subject. 

This latter point leads us to the belief of the Spiritual 
Rappers on the subject of the communication between 
this world and that of the spirits. They believe that 
the inhabitants of the Spirit World are ever wandering 
about this ; that not only the spirits of a man's dead 
relatives and friends are around him, or at least ready 
to answer his call, but that any other spirit is ready to 
answer him, and communicate with him ; nay, even vol- 
unteer to do so, even at the time when he is seeking a com- 
munication from the spirit of one whom he knew on this 
earth. They believe also that some spirits of the Spirit 
World, who are not very highly developed, that is, not 
much better than they were when they left the earth, 
will lie to, abuse and trifle with, those of this world 
when they are in the act of seeking spiritual comniuni- 



THE RAPPERS. ' IT 

cations. Even good spirits, when holding communication 
with mortals, will often joke. The Spiritual Rapping 
disciples believe that communication with the Spirit 
World can only be had through the intervention of 
what is called a Medium ; that is, some particular mor- 
tal to whom either the spirits take a fancy, or who is 
spiritual enough for them to hold direct intercourse 
with. Many are Mediums without knowing it, but it is 
supposed that sooner or later they will find it out. The 
Mediums place their hands on a table, in connection 
with those who seek communication, and the table tips, 
or raps are heard on it or under it, and thus the spirits 
testify their presence and willingness to be interrogated. 
Three raps or taps mean " yes ;" one, " no ;" and two, 
"I don't know," or "doubtful." When the spirit 
speaks by raps, the answer, if it be a name or place, or 
date, an alphabet constructed by the Mediums spells 
out the meaning. Often, however, the spirit communi- 
cates by taking possession, according to the belief of 
the Spiritual Rapping disciples, of the Medium, and 
compelling him to write what the spirit would say. So 
much for Spiritual Rapping belief. 

There are, according to this Spiritual theory, six 
kinds of Mediums, viz ; 

Rapping Mediums, being those persons through 
whom the supposed spirits manifest themselves by 
sounds on the table or other places. 

Tipping Mediums, being those persons through whom 
the supposed spirits manifest themselves by tipping ta- 
bles, &c. 



18 THE RAPPEES. 

Speaking Mediums, being those whom the supposed 
spirits throw into a state of entrancement, and then 
speak through them. 

Singing Mediums are those through whom the sup- 
posed spirits sing by means of entrancement. 

Writing Mediums, being those of whose hands the 
supposed spirits take possession, and compel them to 
write as they, the spirits, dictate. 

Impressible Mediums, being those whom the sup- 
posed spirits impress to think as they, the spirits, wish. 

THE CIRCLE. 

The first Spiritual Rapping Circles to which we shall 
take the reader, were public ones. The visitor to the 
public circles pays a small admission fee, the philosophy 
being, that the Mediums, although in daily communi- 
cation with the Spiritual World, have not yet arrived 
at that degree of spirituality which will enable them to 
live without food and clothing ; that they are still mor- 
tals and must work, like all mortals, for money. 

In the early part of an evening, we rung the bell of 
a fine three-story house, and were ushered into the pre- 
sence of Mrs. B., a public Rapping Medium. We 
expressed our desire to be introduced, if possible, to 
the spirits, and were accordingly invited to join the 
circle which was just at that moment forming. We 
entered a room, neatly furnished, and found some four- 
teen persons, male and female, seated around two 
tables, one of them covered with a green cloth, the 
other bare. The party, this evening, being rather too 



THE EAPPEES. 19 

large for the usual table employed, the second one, 
which was a common ironing-table, had been, on the 
spur of the moment, pressed in from the service of the 
kitchen to the service of the spirits. Before Mrs. B. 
took her seat to preside over the circle, and while she 
was absent for a moment in another room, a respectable 
old gentleman very solemnly placed his hands on the 
table and suggested that probably, if the rest of the 
company followed his example, they would get a com- 
munication without the help of Mrs. B., intimating at 
the same time, that he believed he was something of a 
medium himself. The circle placed "their hands as the 
old gentleman wished, but the spirits were as silent as 
the grave. 

Mrs. B. now appeared. She is a fine-looking woman, 
portly in person and bearing, with jet-black hair, and an 
intellectual expression of countenance. She was richly 
dressed, and bore in her hand a gold watch, to which 
was appended a massive gold chain. The watch was to 
time — not the spirits — but each mortal in the Circle ; 
for each mortal in Rapping Circles is often apt to talk 
so long to the spirits, that he interferes with the rest of 
his brother seekers after spiritual knowledge. Mrs. B. 
having taken her seat at the centre of the two tables, all 
hands were spread, and the performance or ceremony 
commenced. 

First Gentleman — " Is there any spirit here wishing to 
communicate with me ?" 

Three raps ("yes,") loud and distinct, under the 
table. 



20 THE RAPPERS. 

A curious observer, in a large overcoat, here peered 
under and around the table, but the feet were all quiet, 
and the prospect, so far as any explanation of the man- 
ner in which the raps were produced was concerned, 
was a perfect blank. 

First Gentleman here wrote inquiries on a paper, 
which he kept concealed ; and the answers to them, 
made by the raps, which were now again resumed, were 
declared by the gentleman to be wrong. 

Second Gentleman — Called up a musical spirit, and 
asked him to rap a jbune. Hail Columbia was rapped, 
first in slow measure and then in quick, and excellently 
well rapped in both. 

Third Questioner — Was a lady, dressed in mourning, 
young and interesting in appearance, with a high, pale 
forehead, and a bright speaking eye. She asked if heT 
little daughter was present. 

Three raps answered that she was, and would make 
her mother a communication sometime during the 
evening. 

" Have you been with me, little daughter, all day, 
and did you come here with me ?" 

Three raps " yes." 

" Are your guardian spirits with you 1" 

One rap "no." 

It seems, according to the Spiritual Rapping belief, 
that the spirits in the other world have also their guard- 
ian angels. 

" Do you know how many came here with me f 

"Yes." 



THE RAPPERS. 21 

" Can you name them f 

"No." 

The little spirit, however, did afterwards (so the 
questioner said) name two of them correctly. 

Fourth Questioner — A gentleman, who asked for the 
spirit of his father and mother. The answer was the 
mingled rapping of two distinct rappers, and the gen- 
tleman not being able to make out either, gave the 
matter up, and expressed himself satisfied — ^how, he did 
not say. 

Fifth Questioner — Called up the spirit of his father, 
who, when asked what was his age when he died, gave 
answer that it was fifty years, which was five years 
beyond the correct answer. One of the circle here 
remarked that the spirits in the other world kept no 
account of time, that time was only kept in this world 
and that one spiriLhad answered him that he (the spirit) 
had been so happy in the Spirit World, that he had for- 
gotten all about his age and life in this. 

This was all of any consequence that was done at 
Mrs. B.'s circle, while we were there present. The 
spirits, it was remarked, did not appear on that night to 
be very communicative, and we accordingly left. Pre- 
vious, however, to our leaving, it was stated by some 
of the circle that several nights previously a remarkable 
Spiritual manifestation had taken place in that room. 
A highly respectable physician of New York, with his 
wife, was present, and wore gaiters over his shoes ; 
each gaiter was fastened with twelve buttons; and, 
while the physician was seated at the table, another 



22 THE RAPPERS. 

member of the circle present asked a spirit to unfasten 
the doctor's gaiter and hand it to another gentleman 
present. Before the doctor knew anything about it, the 
gaiter was unfastened and handed as directed. 

The next Spiritualist whom we visited was Mr. C. , a 
public Tipping Medium. He is a young man, pleasing 
in his manners, slight in person and complexion. We 
found three gentlemen at his circle, and some four or 
five others, both ladies and gentlemen, just on the 'point 
of leaving. Mr. C.'s room was plainly furnished, with 
a common black walnut table in the centre, covered 
with slips of paper and lead pencils. 

First Questioner — "Is there any spirit present who 
wishes to communicate with me ?" 

Three tips of the table, " yes." 

"Who is it?" 

Mr. C. here told the questioner to write the names 
of four or five living persons, and of one dead, on 
separate slips of paper, double them up so that no 
one could see them, and then throw them on the centre 
of the table. This was done by the questioner, who 
wrote on the slip of the dead the name of his brother. 

" Now," said Mr. C, " we will take each paper and 
ask the spirit present to pick out the slip- on which is 
written the name of the dead friend or relative of 
whom you (the questioner) are at this moment think- 
ing." 

Mr. C. did so, and when he held up the wad of paper 
on which the questioner had written the name of his 



THE RAPPERS. 23 

dead brother, the table tipped three times, to signify 
that that was the one. 

The arm of Mr. C. at this moment seemed to be 
seized with a violent spasm ; he caught hold of a pencil 
and wrote away with a spasmodic rapidity, that to the 
observer appeared as if a streak of lightning was 
erratically amusing itself with tracing pot-hooks and 
hangers. 

First Questioner — " Mr. C, what is the matter — you 
seem to be writing under some slight excitement ?" 

" The spirit has possession of me^ and I must write 
whatever it dictates. I have a communication for you." 

And, by the time he had thus answered, he ceased 
writing, and read to the questioner the following com- 
munication from his mother : — 

My Dear Son — I am happy that you are willing to 
receive truth, and the happy hour that reunites mother 
and son will be looked forward to with pleasure. 

(Signed,) A. 

Questioner — " Can my mother spell me out her 
name V 

One tap of the table, "no." 

Several names, and among them the name of the 
mother, were then written by the questioner on slips of 
paper, and doubled up as before, so that no one but 
himself could see or know their contents. The spirit, 
at the right name, tapped three times, as much as to 
say, that is the right one. 



24 THE RAPPERS. 

The same questioner was now answered by the spirit 
of his brother, whose name he had before written, and 
told correctly the name of the place where he died, 
which was spelt out by alphabet. The spirit also, after 
having answered several other questions without making 
a mistake, again ipvisibly took possession of Mr. C.'s 
arm, and sent the following communication to the 
questioner : 

Dear Brother — You ask for evidence. Spirits cannot 
answer all questions, as their friends desire. For my 
part, I am happy that I can control this medium's 
hands, to convey my thoughts on paper. I want you 
to give a careful investigation to this subject, and be 
slow to receive ; digest nothing which does not harmo- 
nize with your reason. 

This communication was signed with correct initials 
of the questioner's brother's name. So the questioner 
acknowledged in the presence of the circle. 

To the question of which sphere he was in, the 
brother answered that he was in the fourth, and he sent 
the following communication : 

Dear Brother — Death is different from what I 
supposed it to be. It is only the waking up, as it were, 
from a long dream. In whatever stage of progress the 
spirit was when in the body, that sphere it enters in the 
Spirit World. Cultivate your spiritual faculties, and 
never heed the dogmas of the day. 

Questioner — " I want a just idea of God." 



THE RAPPEKS. 25' 

(Spelt out by alphabet.) " I do too." 

" Is there a personal God f 

" I believe I shall see a personal God, but never' 
have ; the spirits do not see God." 

" Is there a personal devil ?" 

" No : the idea of a personal devil is a humbug." 

Second Questioner (to Mr. C.) — "May I ask some 
mental questions f 

" Yes." 

And the questioner, after writing some questions on 
a paper, remained silent for some time, during which 
the table at intervals tipped the answers yes and no. 
The questioner having finished, he was asked if he had 
received correct answers. He answered by reading 
the following question, as one which he had put : 

" Was it spiritual agency that caused the ship Great 
Republic to be burnt f 

The answer to the question was " Yes." 

This questioner did not favor the circle with any 
more of his questions or answers, and we are therefore 
not able to give the nature of either. 

The above was all of any note that occurred while 
we were at Mr. C.'s circle, and we left with our budget 
of spiritual information. The reader will observe that 
in writing this chapter, we have adopted the language of 
the Spiritualists, and said the spirit says so and so. We 
do not mean by this to assert that it was really a spirit 
who answered the questions and made the communica- 
tions ; we mean only to say that it was the voice of the 

raps on, and the tips of the table, as interpreted by'the 

2 



26 THE RAPPERS. 

mediums, and we have only used the word spirit for 
convenience. Our own ideas on the matter we shall 
give at the proper time. Meanwhile we are on a tour 
of investigation, and the above is our first instalment of 
facts, of which we have personal knowledge. 



THE EAPPEK5. 27 



CHAPTER 11. 

THE TRAVELLING SPIRIT. 

Our third visit was to the rooms of Mrs. C, a public 
Rapping Medium. The apartment in which Mrs. C. 
called up the spirits, or rather in which the spirits were 
called up, through the medium of her presence, was a 
large, well furnished one, having a round table in the 
centre, covered with cloth. Mrs. C. is a woman of 
slight and delicate, but well-formed figure, with small 
and regularly chiseled features, complexion clear and 
white, auburn hair, and eyes large, blue and expressive. 
She is, in her appearance, decidedly spiritual — just such 
a looking person as one would suppose the spirits, if in 
reality they do select any mortals for their favorites, 
would be lii^ely to choose as the medium of their com- 
munications to this world. Mrs. C. informed us, that it 
is now nearly five years since she first discovered that 
she was a medium, and the discovery was made in this 
wise. A lady asked her to sit up at the table, when a 
spirit present informed her, to her astonishment, that 
she was a medium. During the first year afterwards, 
the spiritual manifestations to her were by indefinite 
sounds of various kinds, which accompanied and were 



2S, THE RAPPERS. 

heard around her, wherever she might be. Shice then, 
she has become a regular medium, and the spirits not 
only rap, in general at her request or the request of 
others when she is present, but they take possession of 
her, and through her hand write communications. 

It was evening when we visited Mrs. C, and the cir- 
cle was very full, some fourteen or fifteen being around 
the table. The most marked individual in the group 
was an elderly gentleman, with hair as white as snow, 
forehead finely developed, and features giving evidence 
of great energy and decision of character. This gentle- 
man had a sheet of paper before him, and was, as we 
entered, busily engaged in writing down his questions 
to the spirits, and their answers. There was a profound 
silence in the room, as the questions which the elderly 
gentleman put were entirely mental, and therefore 
known by none of the company but himself. His eyes, 
as he put the questions, were intently bent on the 
paper before him, with an expression which seemed to 
say, that while his ear was open to catch the faintest 
rap or sound, his soul was also open and waiting to 
receive some test, if he could possibly get one, of the 
presence of a spirit which should convince him that it 
was in reality a spirit with whom he was holding com- 
munication. The elderly gentleman, metaphorically 
speaking, had evidently taken off his coat to the spirit- 
ual business before him, and had determined to find out 
something if he could. 

In the deep silence of the room, the raps in answer 
to the elderly gentleman's mental questions, were clear 



THE RAPPERS. * 29 

and distinct, and given with great promptness. Some- 
times the questioner, however, would be in doubt 
whether the taps were two or three, and he would then 
in a sonorous voice say, " Will the spirit repeat that 
answer and rap the answer distinctly f and the answer 
would be three loud raps given in quick succession and 
with great energy, as if the spirit intended that its 
" yes" should be emphatic. 

Suddenly the raps, which had been continuous, ceased 
altogether, ^nd the elderly gentleman with his pencil 
was brought to a stand still. He looked up from the 
paper in amazement, and repeated his question, but 
there was no response. 

Mrs. C. — Perhaps there is a spirit present that will 
communicate with some of the other gentlemen, and it 
would be well, therefore, for the circle to pass the 
question around. 

A young lawyer of New York, whose profound legal 
ability and estimable social qualities are universally 
acknowledged, but whose faith in Spirit Rappings is 
somewhat less extensive than the Russian Empire, even 
without the addition of Turkey, here took up the ques- 
tioning of the spirits rendered vacant by the cessation 
of the spiritual communications to the elderly gentle- 
man. 

Lawyer. — Will any ^e talk with me? 

The table gave forth no sound in answer, not even 
the faintest intimation of a rap was heard, and the law- 
yer was nonplussed as he continued in a slightly eleva- 
ted voice and somewhat of a professional tone, " Won't 



30 THE EAPPEES. 

you come and answer ?" But the table was silent as 
before ; the witness refused to appear, and as there 
was no competent judge present to compel attendance, 
the lawyer gave it up, and leaning bacl^ in his chair, 
looked at the gentleman next in order in the circle, with 
that legal resignation of countenance, which is always 
in court understood to say to the opposite counsel " The 
witness is yours, sir." 

Before, however, the next gentleman took up the 
question, Mrs. C. suggested to the lawyer that he had 
not asked the spirits in exactly the right form, and per- 
haps if he would put the question in the usual manner, 
as — "Is there any spirit present that will communicate 
with me ?" he would get an answer. A smile illumined 
the countenance of the young lawyer as he complied 
with the medium's suggestion, but the spirits remained 
silent as before, and the young lawyer had no rap or 
raps. 

The question, " Is there any spirit present that will 
comm.unicate with me *?" was now asked in succession 
by all in the circle, Mrs. C. included, but the lawyer's 
fortune attended the whole, and the spirits appeared to 
have taken their departure entirely. 

Various opinions in regard to the unaccountable ab- 
sence of all the spirits, and the abrupt departure of the 
one which had been communicating with the elderly 
gentleman, were expressed by several persons at the 
table. Mrs. C. herself remarked it was an unusual cir- 
cumstance, while one gentleman suggested that possibly 
the spirits were keeping New Year. 



THE RAPPEES. • 31 

All remarks, however, on the movements of thf 
spirits were suddenly checked by a nervous motion ou 
the part of the arm of Mrs. C, and all eyes were im- 
mediately fixed on her, in order to see what result the 
nervous motion would produce. 

" A spirit wishes to write a communication to some 
one here, and we shall soon see who it is," said Mrs. C, 
seizing a pencil and piece of paper, which latter article 
seemed involuntarily to fly towards the elderly gentle- 
man who had been asking the mental questions, which 
the spirit had so suddenly ceased answering, leaving the 
whole circle in silence. 

" It is for you, sir," said Mrs. C, " and possibly we 
shall now see the cause of the abrupt departure of the 
spirit with whom you were communicating," and Mrs. 
C.'s hand wrote with the rapidity of a race horse, and 
with a series of jerks far outrivalling those of an omni- 
bus sleigh over the crossings of the streets at the last 
end of sleighing. 

The spirits having finished jerking the arm of Mrs. 
C, and her pencil having performed its work, the manu- 
script was exhibited, and it was found to be wri^tten not 
only backwards but bottom upwards. None of the vis- 
itors present, of course, were linguists enough to de- 
cipher such writing, although it was handed round the 
table and subjected to the closest scrutiny. We our- 
selves examined it, and it appeared to us very much 
like what a telegraphic dispatch, announcing the destruc- 
tion of the tower of Babel, would have been in that 
day of the confusion of tongues, supposing that the 



32 THE EAPPEES. 

Babelites had advanced so far in knowledge as to possess 
a lightning express in good working order. But the 
communication of the spirit, although an unknown Ian 
guage to all the rest around her, was simple English to 
Mrs. C, and holding it up to the elderly gentleman, she 
read as follows : 

Dear Brother — I have been to see and he will re 
tain it. (Signed) Eliza. 

The communication, although now read in plain 
English, was still Greek to all around with the exception 
(as it appeared from his looks) of the elderly gentle- 
man. He sat for a moment with his head leaning on 
his hands, his ejips fixed with an intense gaze on the table 
before him, and his whole manner betokening deep 
thought. Seeing, at length, the looks of curiosity 
around hira, he raised his head and said to this effect : 

" This is astonishing, and I will now tell the company 
the questions which I have mentally asked, and written 
dow^n on the paper before me as I have asked them, and 
the answers to them. I first asked the spirit which said 
it was conversing with me, (the gentleman did not 
name the spirit,) if it was the same spirit with whom I 
had conversed a week ago, and it answered " yes." I 
had asked this spirit, a week ago, in another circle, 
within what time a certain event took place, and it 
announced three weeks. I this evening asked the same 
spirit the same question, and it answered four weeks, 
which makes the answer as correct now as it was a 
week ago. The next question I asked was of the spirit 



THE RAPPEES. 33 

of my mother. I asked her if she would tell me about 
a gentleman in North Carolina, and whether he would 
retain a certain thing. The spirit answered " no," and 
then, gentlemen, as you all know, the raps on the table 
ceased, and neither you or I could get any communica- 
tion until Mrs. C.'s arm was seized, and the communi- 
cation of my sister Eliza was written to me as you have 
seen. She took the mission which my mother refused, 
and her going to North Carolina to gain the information 
I desired, accounts for the stillness at the table, and my 
inability to get any more raps while she was gone. 
These questions of mine have been test ones, and I 
consider that I have had proof of spiritual agency in 
the matter. No one at this table but myself knew or 
could know the questions I asked, and yet you see your- 
selves, the marvelous answer I have received." 

The elderly gentleman having thus opened his budget 
to the whole company, and explained the perfect pro- 
priety of his sister Eliza's answer, which was before 
incomprehensible, and the company themselves having 
seen the communication signed " Eliza" by Mrs. C, and 
learned that the elderly gentleman had in truth a sister 
by that name — all this being developed before the per- 
sons present at Mrs. C.'s table, there was, of course, a 
variety of expressions in the faces of all. Some looked 
astonished, others looked blank, one or two smiled, and 
the young lawyer with a solemn face asked, if there was 
yet any spirit which would communicate with him. 
But the spirits again repudiated the law in the person 
of its young representative, who again leaned back in 

9^ 



34: THE RAPPERS. 

his chair and left the same question to go round the 
whole circle with the same success, except in the case of 
one quiet little man to w^hom a spirit professed its wil- 
lingness to communicate. But the quiet little mm had 
no questions to ask ; said " he'd rather not," and there 
was silence again in the circle. 

The silence was broken by the elderly gentleman, 
who asked if the spirit of his sister Eliza was still 
present, and on being answered in the affirmative, 
asked if the spirit of Mary Jane was present. The 
answer w^as " Yes." 

" Will she communicate with me?" 

" No." 

" Will you write out the reason why ?" 

"Yes." 

Mrs. C.'s arm w-as again seized, and a second tower 
of Babel dispatch writing was the result. The writing 
being interpreted, was as follows : 

Dear Brother — Mary Jane will not communicate 
because she is not progressed far enough. 

The elderly gentleman again expressed himself satis- 
fied, saying that the answer was appropriate, as Mary 
Jane was but an infant when she died. 

The next questioner, who was so fortunate as to hold 
communication with a spirit, asked of the spirit of his 
sister the name of the person who came into the room 
w^ith him. After writing down a number of names on 
a slip of paper and pointing to each one in succession, 
the spirit indicated by raps the name of the rig'U one. 



THE RAPPEES. 35 

This spirit also rapped out correctly her own name, the 
name of the place where she died, the names of her 
children living and the places where they now live. 
The questioner told the writer of this that every ques- 
tion was ti'ue to a hair. 

The spirits after this appeared to have entirely de- 
parted, for no one at the table could get the smallest 
possible rap. The circle, therefore, broke up, and 
taking the arm of our friend, the young lawyer, we 
issued into the street, where living spirits were slipping 
upon the sidewalk most ungracefully. 

" What do you think of it V said v/e. 

" Humbug," was the young lawyer's answer. 

We neither assented or dissented, for we were on a 
tour of investigation, and our opinions were under lock 
and key until we had finished our investigations. 

With our young friend the lawyer, we adjourned to 
the rooms of another medium, but was not fortunate 
enough to find him in. After we separated from our 
friend, we proceeded homeward. We asked mentally 
as we passed along the street, and even when we 
arrived home and were snugly ensconced in bed, that 
the spirits would give us some strong manifestation 
of their presence with us, by grasping us, rapping 
on our bed-post, or doing anything which would aston- 
ish us; but there was no answer, and we dropped of! 
into a sweet sleep, undisturbed by any manifestations, 
but watched over, we hope, by a guardian angel, who 
will, we trust, keep us straight in all things. 



36 THE BAPPEKS. 



CHAPTER IIL 

TWO YOUNG GIRL MEDItJMS. 

Our fourth visit was to a private circle at the house 
of a Mr. T., to which we had been invited by that 
gentleman. A friend, with small faith but immense 
whiskers, accompanied us. The house, at the door of 
which we rung, was a plain two story wooden one, and 
evidently the residence of those in the middle walks of 
life. We were received by a lady of tall and com- 
manding figure and intelligent countenance, who intro- 
duced us immediately into the room where the circle, 
she informed us, had been already formed. We found 
the room, which was not large, but furnished with the 
most scrupulous neatness, full of people. In the corner 
was a large circular table, on which rested a large bible, 
and around which some fifteen persons, both male and 
female, were gathered, with their hands spread out 
before them. The remainder of the company surrounded 
the circle at the table, in close phalanx, some standing,, 
some sitting, and all evidently anxiously waiting some 
manifestation of the spirits. There was a dead silence 
in the room as we entered, and we ourself, together 
with our friend with the whiskers, endeavored to break 



THE EAPPEES. 37 

the stillness as little as possible, in order that the 
spirits, if there were any present, should not have cause 
to say that we drove them off by our noise or abrupt- 
ness. Mr. T., the gentleman of the house, politely 
offered us his seat at the table, which we accepted, and 
our friend in the whiskers having noiselessly, but with 
his eyes somewhat expanded, taken his seat close behind 
us, we had an opportunity to look more closely around 
us. 

The members of the circle, in the midst of which we 
were seated, were persons respectable in appearance, 
plainly but neatly dressed, and eviden^y those who 
were no strangers to daily honest labor. The devout 
looks of many showed that sincere believers were 
plenty at the circle, while some shades of incredulity, 
which we detected on the faces of others, especially on 
that of a middle-aged gentleman with a very high 
peaked forehead, told us that unbelievers and curious 
inquirers were also present. Directly opposite us sat 
an elderly lady, with one of the neatest of caps border- 
ing a face mild and benevolent in its expression, but so 
distinctly marked with firmness of belief as to be re- 
marked by the most casual observer. She informed us 
at a later period of the evening, that she was a medium. 

Seated at our left hand and next adjoining us, were 
two girls, thie one fifteen the other sixteen years of age. 
The first was short and stout in person, with black hair 
and eyes, the bloom of the rose on her cheek, and her 
whole manner and expression of countenance artless and 
ansophibticated. The arm that was extended towards 



38 THE RAPPERS. 

the table was full and round, and apparently of consi- 
derable muscular strength, while the hands, which were 
spread out on the table, although small and well 
formed, were evidently hands accustomed to the broom 
and brush. Mr. T. informed us that she was as she 
appeared, artless, possessed only of a plain education, 
and accustomed to daily labor, but that she was and had 
for some time been a medium, through whom the 
spirits spoke and sang, to whom they sometimes 
revealed themselves in palpable shape and form. The 
second girl was slight in figure, with light hair and 
eyes, pale conjplexion, artless in look and manner as 
her neighbor, and evidently of the same class and with 
about the same amount of education. She also was, as 
Mr. T. informed us, a medium of the same kind as the 
other. 

The silence which reigned in the room for some time 
after we were seated was at length broken by sundry 
manifestations of Impatience on the part of some of the 
circle, -especially by the middle aged gentleman with 
the peaked forehead, the twinkle of whose large piercing 
eyes seemed to say as plainly as words, "I don't 
exactly know what to make out of all this, but if the 
spirits are coming I wish they would come." 

The middle-aged gentleman with the peaked forehead 
however, did not content himself with looks; he spoke, 
and in a sonorous tone asked if there was any spirit 
present which would communicate with him. Here- 
upon, the elderly lady with the mild face, slapped her 
hand vigorously on the table, ejaculating at the same 



itiK EAPPEKS. 39 

time " No." He of the peaked forehead looked at the 
lady, we looked, and our friend in the rear, with the 
whiskers, also looked, and we all looked inqniringly, 
but the elderly lady with her month firmly compressed, 
preserved the silence into which she had fallen immedi- 
ately after speaking her emphatic " No.*' We hereupon 
took it upon ourself to speak. 

Ourself — " Madam, how does your slapping on the 
table mean ' no f We have been told that one invisi- 
ble rap (supposed to be that of a spirit) on the table 
means ' no,' and when a person cannot see who raps, 
nor tell how the rap is produced, the rap then seems to 
be and mean something, inasmuch as it appears to be 
given by no mortal hand. But any one may rap on the 
table as you have done ; and, as a test, the rap amounts 
to nothing." 

Elderly Lady — " The spirit took possession of my 
hand, and I must rap as it directs." 

Various persons in the circle now expressed them- 
selves to the effect that they wished that the spirits 
would come in some shape or other. The usual ques- 
tion of " is there any spirit present who will communi- 
cate with me?" was passed round the circle, and the 
Mediums asked the spirits to tip or rap on the table. 
But there was no response, and the table remained still 
and firm on its legs. The elderly lady here suggested 
that^f we would not make quite so much noise, the spi- 
rits would probably manifest themselves. The sug- 
gestion was heeded, and deep silence reigned in the 
circle. At this moment our friend in the whiskers, with 



40 THE EAPPEES. 

his eyes more expansive than ever, touched us on the 
shoulder, and told us to look at the girl Medium with 
the light hair. Our eyes were already fixed in that di- 
rection. The girl's figure seemed to be intensely con- 
torted. She bent her arms and twisted her body into 
all manner of shapes, the muscles of her face moved 
convulsively and her eyes rolled wildly. This was suc- 
ceeded by her striking in quick succession her hand up 
and down on the edge of the table, not only with all na- 
tural strength, but apparently superhuman force, which 
seemed every moment as if it would result in a terrible 
laceration of the flesh and breaking of the bones of the 
hand. VYe ourself were shocked, and reached forth our 
hand to endeavor to stop the upward and downward 
strokes of the girl's arm, which rose and fell with almost 
the rapidity and thumping force of the beam of a steam 
engine. Our interference, however, was of about as 
much avail as if we had attempted to stop a locomotive, 
and so we gave it up, turning from the unpleasant sight 
and endeavoring to recover ourself somewhat by a con- 
templative survey of the incomparable whiskers of our 
friend in the rear. Our friend's eyes were dilated to 
their utmost capacity, seemed fairly to crack and snap, 
and to be just on the point of jumping beyond the line 
of his whiskers on to the girl. As we turned towards 
our friend, our looks evidently bearing witness to those 
around that we did not much relish the looking at the 
young girl thus apparently bruise herself, the elderly 
lady Medium quietly remarked, that the girl would not 
hurt herself, for the spirit which had taken possession of 



THE KAPPEKS. 41 

her *' would see to that." We of course had nothing to 
answer to such a clincher, and after we had taken the 
short survey of our friend's eyes and whiskers, we again 
turned back too look more composedly on the young 
Medium. The strokes of the arm became less frequent, 
the face settled into a more composed state, and casting 
up her eyes, the girl said in a slow, distinct voice, but 
verj different from the one in which we had before heard 
her speak, " Not one ray of hope." The spell seemed 
now suddenly to leave her, and giving a slight shrug to 
her whole frame, her face assumed its natural expression, 
and she took her seat with an air of slight embarrass- 
ment. 

Ourself. — " Have you hurt yourself 1" 
•"No." 

" Do you remember anything you have been saying 
or doing ?" 

" No, only a little numbedness when the spirit first 
took possession of me." 

At this moment, the girl Medium with the dark hair, 
who sat immediately next to us, was seized in like man- 
ner as the other had been. Her hands at first began to 
tremble, then her whole frame ; her eyes rolled fear- 
fully, and her arms became rigid as bars of iron. We 
tried with all our force, but could not bend her arms. 
This was followed by terrible writhings of her whole 
body, and a throwing out her arms in every direction 
as if she was in the act of resisting desperately some un- 
seen power. She also struck her hands as violently as 
the other had done on the table. Finally, as before, the 



42 THE EAPPKRS. 

spasm, if we may so call it, became less violent, and a 
spirit (so supposed by the believers in this faith) spoke 
through her as follows : 

" She would resist me, but she cannot. She made up 
her mind that she would not be influenced by the spirits. 
Some say that the departed aje not allowed to return, 
but they do return to communicate with their friends. 
There is such a thing as progression, but not a devil. — 
There is no fire and brimstone. Spirits can progress. 
My name is Sarah. Adieu, my friends." Sarah was 
the medium's cousin. 

After thus speaking, the medium shook herself, and 
came out of the trance as the others had done. Mr. T. 
informed us that this medium had been a speaking one 
and had spoken only in his circle, for about a year past. 
During the time that she was in the above trance, she 
reached forth and clutched the Bible convulsively, ex- 
tending it towards one outside of the circle. The per- 
son took the Bible, commenced reading, and continued 
to do so until the Medium spoke as above. This led us 
to asl; the question, if the spirits taught the religion of 
the Bible. The elderly lady Medium answered that 
such was her belief, and of many others. 

At this moment the First Medium was again taken 
possession of by the spirit, but not in so violent a man- 
ner as before. Her face wore a smile, aiid her eyes 
were uprolled -with a soft and blissful expression, as if 
she was contemplating some sight of beauty. ' Waving 
her hand, she said : 



THE BAPPEES. 43 

"All is bright and happy within the gates of that 
great city. How they sing praises now !" 

The Medium here shaded her eyes for a moment with 
her hands, then clapped them, and then stood still ; and 
at this moment the Second Medium was again seized 
by the spirit, (in the language of the believers,) and 
shouted out, " Come on !" 

First Medium — " That's majnma." 
Second Medium — " That's you *?" 
A lady here approached tJie First Medium, and asked 
her if she could describe Heaven. 

First Medium — " Yes ; 'tis with Jesus that I dwell in 
those regions where angels are ever on the wing." 

The Medium here made a motion with her hands, si- 
milar to tlie flapping of wings, accompanying it with the 
ejaculation, " Ever on the wing, ever on the wing." 
Lady — " Do you see grandma?" 
" Yes, I see grandma. I think she will be here to- 
night." 

Ladij — " Does little Charley want to come back ?" 
" No, he don't want to come back ; the Savior is 
teaching him." 

The Second Medium here commenced striking out 
her arms in front of her with the most fearful violence. 
This lasted for some moments, when she changed the 
motion, and slapped her breast with both hands with 
great force for about five minutes. Somewhat asto- 
nished at this new change of operation, we ejaculated 
involuntarily something very much like a "halloo, 
what's to pay now ?" and ventured afterwards respect- 



44: THE RAPPERS. 

fully to inquire the meaning of these strange move- 
ments. 

Mr. T. — "The doctor has possession of her now. 
When he was alive he pjrescribed for her, and continues 
to do so now. He has often taken possession of her, 
and gives her emetics, &c., when necessary. She has 
now a very bad cold, and he is taking care of her." 

Ourself — " Well, this is something new, but we like the 
idea, and should like to have a doctor on the same terms : 
for cheapness, if nothing else." 

Elderly Lady Medium — " There is too much talking 
and laughing around the table, and the spirits will be 
likely to go away." 

We were silenced, and just at that moment, the se- 
cond Medium, whom the doctor was taking care of, 
suddenly ceased slapping herself, and from the violent 
contortions of her mouth and face, it was evident that 
the emetic was in process of being swallowed, and 
would soon manifest itself in something more than a 
spiritual manner. It did so ; and a moment afterwards, 
the Medium threv/ from her mouth a large quantity of 
phlegm, which it was evident,, from her violent cough- 
ing sometime previously, ought to have been so thrown 
off. The doctor was right, and did his duty in the most 
scientific manner. We consider him a better doctor 
than many live ones. During all this time, the eyes of 
our friend in the whiskers were far beyond the line of 
the longest hair of his facial ornaments. 

The Medium now came out of her trance, and Mr. 
T. had a communication from the spirit of his wife 



THE RAPPERS. 45 

through raps on the table, and spelt out by alphabet. 
She said she was happy, and was glad to be there and 
see him. 

Both Mediums were now again affected, and the se- 
cond Medium rose from the table and marched with 
erect figure and measur-id tread after the manner of a 
soldier, drew her imaginary sword and assumed the at- 
titude of command. Thus she spoke : — 

" That ain't right. Right to the left, left to the right. 
Two, four, eight, four to the center, two to the left ; 
eight, face left, forward." 

The Medium spoke some time in this way of giving 
words of command, but the above is enough for ex- 
ample. 

We ventured to inquire what spirit had now posses- 
sion of her, and were answered by the elderly lady, that 
it was the spirit of Washington, who often came into 
their circle. The eye of the man with the peaked fore- 
head twinkled with a peculiar twinkle at the intelli- 
gence, and our friend of the whiskers was dumb and did 
not open his mouth ; his eyes, however, continued very 
large. We ourself inquired if Jackson ever came up, 
and were answered that he did, and Webster also. It 
was likewise stated that Webster and Clay were in 
lower spheres than Jackson, to which we slightly de- 
murred, as rather unfair, when we were pleasantly told 
by the elderly lady Medium that we must not talk poli- 
tics in the presence of the spirits. 

The spirit of Madame Malibran (at least, so we were 
informed by Mr. T.,) now took possession of the first 



46 THE BAPPEKS. 

Medium, and she commenced talking in a sprightly style 
and in broken English. Mr. T. informed us that the 
spirit of Malibran often took possession of both of the 
Mediums, and that they would play on the piano and 
sing, and sometimes talk French, although neither of 
them, when in a natural state, could play, or sing, or 
speak any language but their own. 

The second Medium here suddenly broke out in a 
rich Irish brogue. 

" Faith and how are you Madame Malibran, what 
makes you look so prim like, devil a bit 1 care for 

you." 

First Medium. — " How d'do, Patrick, can you talk 
French 1" 

Second Medium. — " Devil a bit can I do that same, 
will you tache me 1" 

First Medium. — " Yes, I will, good night, I must go, 
I stay too long." 

We here asked who Patrick was, and were informed 
that it was a funny Irishman named Mulligan, who 
often took possession of the Medium. We also asked 
the spirit of Malibran where and when she sang in Lon- 
don, and received for answer, through the Medium, that 
she did not know, she was so happy in the spirit world 
that she had forgotten all about what took place when 
she was in this, and knew only what was going on in 
this when she came here, as she did that evening. We 
asked her if she knew any friend of ours in the spirit 
world, and she answered that she did not, but would 
inquire for them and tell us another time. 



THE EAPPEKS. 4^ 

The above was about all of importance that took 
place at the private circle of Mr. T. In answer to some 
remarks which we made, Mr. T. informed us that raps 
were frequent around the house at all hours of the day 
and night ; that he and other members of the family 
had had astonishing revelations from the spirit world ; 
that they had once been told by the spirits that certain 
other spirits would, on a certain night, come into the 
house and fly visibly about in the shape of doves. The 
day appointed came, and with it came three doves, 
flying about the room palpably visible, but seeming 
like illuminated shadows of doves. The candles were 
withdrawn from the room, but still the doves, with a 
beautiful halo of light surrounding them, flew noiselessly 
about the apartment. Mr. T. seems an honest, sincere 
man ; his family and the rest of the persons in the room 
produced the same impression on us. 



X 

THE RAPPERS. 



^ CHAPTER IV. 

GRAND CIRCLE OF MEDIUMS. 

On a certain morning, notwithstanding the heavens 
above were dark and lowering, and the earth below 
muddy, splashy and abominably unpleasant to walk 
upon, we entered the rooms of Mrs. C, the public Rap- 
ping Medium, of whom we have before spoken, with 
our ideas extremely elevated, and our mind in a most 
sublime and happy state. We felt, in fact, very spiritual, 
for how could we have felt otherwise ; we had been in- 
vited to attend a grand spiritual circle, where the circle 
w^as to be composed of none but spiritual Mediums, and 
those Mediums were to be of the fairest part of crea- 
tion, and no one else. Why, it was enough to make a 
confirmed Alderman turn sprltual, although such a 
change would have to be set down as the most wonder- 
ful miracle since the days of Friar Tuck. Laying aside, 
however, everything relating to aldermen as not being 
a very spiritual subject to discourse upon, and confining 
matters to ourself, we entered, as we said before, Mrs. 
C.'s rooms very spiritually inclined, because, in view of 
what we expected to see and hear, we could not help it. 

We found the room already half filled, and for some 



THE KAPPERS. 4:» 

moments after we entered, those invited came pouring 
in, until every available spot of space in the room was 
occupied. There were but few gentlemen present, and 
after the uncloaking and unbonnetting, and the kisses 
of greeting between the fair spiritualists had been gone 
through with, Mrs. C. commenced arranging the circle. 
Some fifteen of the principal Mediums present, ail 
young women, were placed around the table, while the 
balance of the company, among whom also there were 
Mediums, formed at least two more circles, surrounding 
the first. It was a beautiful and an imposing array. There 
were Mediums from Boston and Hartford, and many 
other places, beside New York, and never has it been our 
privilege and good fortune to look upon a more brilliant 
collection than they presented, of large, dark, dreamy 
and flashing, light and laughing eyes ; of glossy ringlets 
and Madona curls, black, brown, auburn and golden, 
clustering on the sides of cheeks rivalling the bloom of 
the rose, or parted simply over brows, pale, high, and 
polished as alabaster. And such a collection of white, 
tiny and tapering hands as were spread out in a circle 
on that table ! We never before saw so brilliant a dis- 
play of hands, and we thought within ourself, as our 
eyes had a battle with themselves, whether they should 
look the most at the beauty of the faces above or the 
beauty of the hands below, that if the spirits would not 
come at the call of such a pressure of such hands as 
was then inviting them, nothing mortal could bring 
them. 

The circles having been formed, there was silence for 
.3 



50 THE RAPPEES. 

a moment, during which a fair Medium, with a rich pro- 
fusion of auburn ringlets, which, together with a most 
exquisite little Lonnet, formed a very pretty frame to a 
very bright face, took a seat at the piano and commenced 
a plaintive and soothing spiritual song. The whole cir- 
cle joined in the singing, and the effect was very fine, for 
all the voices were melodious and the harmony complete. 
We, ourself, really felt a sort of delicious influence 
creeping over us as we listened. The reader, however, 
will remember that we said we felt spiritual before we 
entered the house, which will account for this suscepti- 
bility of ours at the very start. 

At the conclusion of the song, the usual question went 
round the circle of Mediums at the table — " Is any spirit 
here who will communicate with me ?" Strange to say, 
there was a dead silence — not a rap or sound was heard. 
Black eyes, blue eyes, hazel eyes — all looked astonished 
— and there was a great shaking among the curls and 
ringlets — such a galaxy of Mediums, and not one spirit 
to answer to their call ! it was wonderful. If some 
stern skeptic had knotted tighter the wrinkles of his 
face, and asked for a spirit to talk with him, it would 
have been all very natural for the spirits, in a body, 
either to repudiate or to snub him ; but for the spirits to 
make no answer to such a grand circle of fair Mediums, 
it was really too bad ; at least we thought so. The 
question was again passed round, but again there was 
no answer. 

At this moment, a Medium, with a slim, graceful fig- 
ure, and hair black as jet, parted in Madonna-like curls 



THE RAPPEES. 51 

over a fair forehead, which crowned a face regular in 
its features and pensive in its expression, was seized 
with a slight tremor in the hand, and an instant after- 
wards she seized the pencil and wrote several words 
with the rapidity of lightning. Then looking at what 
she wrote, she said in a soft voice, " The spirits say that 
we must join hands." And the hands were joined, but 
the result was th^ same. There was now considerable 
confusion ; some said that the circle was not seated 
right, and changes were accordingly made ; and then 
several of the Mediums tried, without success, to write, 
and there were talking and some laughing, varied with 
small spells of silence, but all to no purpose ; the spirits 
would not come. 

At this juncture, a Medium, with full commanding 
figure, auburn hair plainly dressed,, and with large blue 
and speaking eyes, said : " Sing a song of harmony, that 
the spirits may be harmonized." Mrs. C. immediately 
took a seat at the piano, and in a very sweet voice com- 
menced the song " What fairy-like music," &c., and the 
whole circle, as before, joined in the chorus. 

The singing had continued but a short time when our 
eyes were called from the general survey of the whole 
circle in which they had been engaged, by the appear- 
ance of the Medium with the full figure and auburn 
hair. She had risen from the table, and now stood rig- 
idly upright, with her eyes fixed as if in a trance of 
•bliss, and her lips moving nervously but uttering no 
sound. Suddenly her voice burst forth in a high, clear, 
and rich strain of melody, which silenced all the other 



mi THE RAPPERS. 

voices around her, and caused the looks of all to be 
turned upon her. The following will serve as a sample 
of what she sang : 

Yes, high is the passage 

To Heaven's bright land, 
A.nd Spirits are calling, 

Joining heart and hand. 

The love of bright angels 

Descends from on high, 
The bright day is shining, 

And Heaven is nigh. 

Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Rejoice ! 

Shout to the Heavens above, 
In gratitude and love to God, 

For God is love. 

As suddenly as she had commenced to sing, she 
ceased ; the fixedness of her eyes relaxed, and she re- 
sumed her seat with a shrug, as if she had just awakened 
from a deep sleep. In answer to our inquiries, we were 
informed that she remembered nothing of what she had 
been singing, that it was altogether impromptu, that in 
fact the spirit was singing through her, and that she was 
a singing Medium. All we have to say, is that she was 
a very good singer and something of a poet, whether 
the spirits inspired her or not. 

The spirits (so said to be) seemed to wake up, for 
there was now a quantity of raps, on the table, under the 
table, in the corner of the room — in fact all over. But 
it was impossible to tell who they were for. A spirit 
here wrote, through one of the Mediums, as follows : 



THE EAPPERS. 6B 

" Many spirits are here from many circles, and they 
do not harmonize." 

At this moment there came three distinct raps on the 
table, and each one at the table asked if it was for her, 
and was answered " no." The outside circle then asked 
the question, and when it came to our turn we were as- 
tonished to find that it was for ourself. We then wrote 
several names of living persons on a paper, and the 
name of a deceased relative, and pointing to each asked 
the spirit to designate it. When our pencil pointed to 
the names of the dead, three raps on the table answered 
that that one was the spirit now present. We asked 
the spirit to communicate to us, when the black haired 
Medium with the Madonna curls caught hold of the pen- 
cil to write, but after considerable trembling of the 
hand, gave it up, and we received no communication. 

One of the Mediums here asked the Spirits if they 
would have the kindness to tell why those present had 
not more satisfactory manifestations. No sooner was 
the question asked, than one of the Mediums, Miss E., 
dressed in black, with black hair, high forehead, pale 
features, and large spiritual-looking eyes, was seized with 
a trembling of her whole frame, which soon gave place 
to a calm rigidity, and with her eyes fixed, as if on a 
vacancy before her, she spoke (by the direction, as it is 
said, of a spirit,) as follows : — 

"Those assembled here are harmonious, but each has 
a different motive, and one Medium depends too much 
on the other — ^not passive enough. I could speak vol 



64 THE RAPPERS. 

umes, but there are many excellent spirits to speak with 
you all. I desire that each one of you should ask ques 
tions, for every individual here has attracted a congenial 
spirit." 

Having spoken thus, the Medium recovered herself in 
pretty much the same manner as the singing Medium 
had done before her. 

Whether in answer to the spirit who spoke through 
Miss E., or not, we are unable to tell, but certain it is 
that when Miss E. ceased speaking, Mrs. C. also went 
off in a trance, her eyes became closed, and she groped 
around the room, touching every one with her hands, 
until she came to a fine looking woman dressed in black, 
who (we have forgotten to mention it before) had pre- 
viously, been asking, at several times, in an affectionate 
voice, if her little daughter would communicate with 
her. When Mrs. C. reached this lady she laid her 
hands gently on her forehead, as if in the act of bles- 
sing, and then left her, went to the table, opened her 
eyes, raised them upwards, then seized a pencil, traced 
some words on a piece of paper, then went to another 
table and returned with a small miniature, which she 
laid on the table the circle surrounded. At this moment 
the cheeks of the lady in black became deadly pale, her 
whole frame appeared convulsed, and she broke forth 
into deep and heavy sobs. So violently was she affected, 
that she was borne from the room, but was soon brought 
back somewhat calmed, but still apparently unconscious 
of what was going on around her. Suddenly the sing- 



THE RAPPEES. 55 

ing Medium with the auburn hair, rose, faced the mother, 
and extending her hand over her in a majestic attitude, 
sang in the same clear rich voice as before : 

Weep not, mother dear, 

When Spirits of infants are near, 

For words they bring of good cheer. 

Thus can I approach thee, mother dear, 
Glad song of love I bring thee, 
When I am hovering near. 

Love I Love ! is a beautiful thing-, 
Heaven is open to man, 
Rejoice, mother dear, while I sing, 
And ray spirit is hovering near. 

Much more she sang in the same strain, and the tune, 
which was a beautiful one, is not, we venture to say, set 
down in any of the books. The mother awakened with 
a smile, from her trance, and the Medium resumed her 
seat. 

Mrs. C. again went off in a walking trance with 
closed eyes ; but this time she laid her hands on a short 
stout gentleman in spectacles and whiskers and a very 
small slightly elevated nose, bearing no affinity to the 
classical pattern of either Greece or Rome. It was 
truly an American independent nose, built after a pat- 
tern and on a broad full moon foundation of face 
peculiarly its ov^^l. We may as well here remark, 
according to the information which we received on the 
subject, that in the blind walking trance which now had 
full possession of Mrs, C, the disciples of spiritualism 



56 THE RAPPEES. 

believed that a spirit wished to communicate with some 
one in the room — that the spirit through Mrs. C. would 
point out the desired person, and lead him to the Medium 
through whom the spirit wished to speak to him. ' Mrs. 
C. picked out the gentleman with the spectacles and the 
little nose, and having picked him out, she passed her 
hand gently over his forehead, which operation, the gen- 
tleman with the spectacles and the nose seemed to like 
greatly; for his eyes twinkled brightly through his 
glasses, and the elevation of the tip of his little nose 
seemed (we may have imagined it) to be greatly 
increased. Leaving his forehead, the hands of Mrs. C. 
sought those of him of the spectacles and the nose, which 
having found, she led and seated him, by the side of one 
of the most spiritual-looking Mediums in the room, and 
placed the hands of the latter in his. It w^as a beautiful 
little hand and soft as velvet, and W'hile the brilliancy 
of eyelight, gleamed more intensely than ever through 
the spectacles, the little nose this time fairly trembled. 
There was a blush also on his face ; for he seemed a 
bashful young man, and altogether he was- in a very 
nervous position. With the most profound respect, 
however, he bent over the hand which he held, and 
w^aited for the voice of the spirit through the Medium. 
The hand of the latter trembled violently for a few 
moments, and she seemed as if she also was going into 
a trance ; but it passed off, and he of the nose and spec- 
tacles retired to his position outside of the table, no 
M'iser than before. 

More songs were sung — more attempts made to gain 



THE RAPPERS. 67 

some remarkable manifestations ; but without avail 
The general opinion seemed to be that too many Medi- 
ums were present, and that the eagerness of all to have 
communications, was productive of a want of harmony, 
which prevented any great test manifestation from taking 
place. 



58 THE RAPPERS. 



CHAPTEE y. 



THE EVIL SPIRITS. 



In our tour among the Spiritual Eapping Circles of 
New York, we a few evenings since paid a second visit 
to the private circle at the house of Mr. T. We found 
the room and table, as before, crowded. The two young 
girl Mediums were there and were seated at the table, 
waiting, we presume, for spirits to take possession of 
them. The rest of the company consisted mainly of 
the same persons whom we had before seen there. Two 
individuals particularly attracted our attention ; the 
one was a pale-faced gentleman with a goat (we beg 
pardon — we mean a small tuft of cultivated hair,) under 
his chin ; and the other was a gentleman rotund in per- 
son, with a broad face, rosy in complexion, and beaming 
with good nature. He with the pale face and the goat 
looked as if his mind was ever on the stretch of inquiry, 
while he of the rosy face looked as if he generally kept 
his mind perfectly easy, and was not in the habit of 
stretching it on any but extraordinary occasions. Having 
taken our seat, we remained silent with the rest of the 
circle, during a space of some five minutes, in which the 
spirits were waited for, but did not come. 

The silence was broken by the gentleman with the 



THE KAPPEES. 69 

goat, who addressed to the gentleman with the rosy face 
some remarks on the subject of spiritual rappings, which 
led to a short animated conversation between the two 
parties. The gentleman with the goat was a firm believer 
not only in spiritual rappings, but in mesmerism, 
clairvoyance, psychology, and all unto each of these 
appertaining. He evidently went in for all the new 
doctrines of the day, and was profoundly impressed with 
the belief that he knew something of each. The gentle- 
man with the rosy face, however, was to us a puzzle. 
We could not tell whether he believed in Spiritual 
Rappings or not, and although he talked freely and 
pleasantly, when he was through, the company were 
about as wise in regard to his real opinions as they were 
before he opened his mouth. He was evidently of the 
non-committal order of men, and was therefore a wise 
man. 

The learned conversation of the above parties was at 
length interrupted by the appearance of both the girl 
Mediums, who, by the nervous motions of their hands 
and the twitchings of the muscles of their faces, gave 
evidence that they were about to be taken possession of 
(as it is said) by spirits. The hands of both were soon 
thrashing up and down the edge of the table in the same 
manner as we have previously described it in the 
account of our first visit to the house of Mr. T." This 
violent motion soon subsided, and then the Mediums 
suddenly locked their right hands together and extended 
them towards the man with -the rosy ftice. 

'- Well, and what do vou want with me?" said he of 



60 THE KA.PPER8. 

the rosy flice. " Is there any spirit wishes to communi 
cate with me?" 

The Mediums opened not their mouths, but knocked 
their hands on the table, as much as to say " Yes." 

Although the Mediums would not speak, it was sug- 
gested to the man with the rosy face that he should ask 
whatever questions he saw fit, and wait for his answer, 
in whatever form he might get it. He did so by writing 
down the Christian names of several living persons and 
one dead one, and then pointing to each successively, he 
asked the Mediums if that was the spirit which wished 
to communicate with him. When he pointed to the 
Christian name of the dead person, the hands of the 
Mediums thumped three times on the table, meaning 
thereby " Yes." The man with the rosy face looked 
rather astonished ; for he alone in the room saw the 
names which he had written, or knew which belonged 
to the living or dead. The answer, however, was right, 
and the man with the rosy face, still further to test the 
matter, now wrote on another slip of paper the sur- 
names belonging to the Christian ones. The hands of 
the Mediums thumped " Yes" at the right surname. 
The man with the rosy face looked still more aston- 
ished, and proceeded to put more questions, but did not 
receive much more information, except that the spirit 
was his guardian spirit, and would communicate with 
him further at some future period. 

The mediums now suddenly unlocked their hands, the 
eldest girl recovered her consciousness ; but the younger 
one rose from the table with all the features of her fnce 



THE PwAPPERS. 61 

convulsively twitching, and her arms thrashing wildly 
around her. She appeared at the same time to be in 
pain and distress, and in the act of a desperate resist- 
ance to some evil influence. We ourself felt alarmed, 
and many, even of the firm believers at the table who 
are seldom frightened at what they see, appeared to us 
as if they did not feel quite at their ease. The man 
with the goat looked calmly on with an inquiring, but 
not a troubled eye, while he with the rosy face rather 
quickly .said : 

" For God sake, what does all this mean ? She will 
hurt herself; stop it if possible." 

Some one here suggested that it was probably some 
evil spirit which had taken possession of the Medium, 
and an effort was made, but in vain, to hold her. 

" It is probably an undeveloped spirit," here remarked 
the man with the goat, " and probably I may so impress 
her, after the psychologicfil manner, as to cause it to 
leave her," and the man with the goat made some few 
other remarks in the same strain. 

" Suppose you try your hand, and see if your theory 
is right," said he with the rosy face to him with the 
goat. 

The man with the goat rose very deliberately from 
his chair, approached the girl Medium, looked stead- 
fastly in her face, and said pretty much as follows : — 
•' Evil spirit, please leave this young woman ; retire, 
go away, you are subj 'Acting her to distress ; w^ill you 
therefore depart f 



62 THE RAPPERS. 

not very profitable to talk to evil people on earth in 
such a polite manner as this ; but that commanding, 
knock-down methods of speech were more effective, 
and he supposed that evil spirits also required some- 
thing stronger than polite- requests. 

The girl Medium, in the meantime, thrashed about as 
wildly as ever, and the man with the goat took his seat, 
with the knowledge that the evil or undeveloped spirit, 
whichever it may have been, was too much for him. 

" I have a mind," said the man with the rosy face, 
rising from his seat, " to try my hand now. I don't 
know that I shall accomplish anything, but I am curious 
to make the trial." 

Thus speaking, he approached the girl, stood before 
her in a commanding attitude, looked her steadily in 
the face, and making before her, with his hand, the sign 
of the cross, said in a stern voice : 

" If you are an evil spirit that possesses this young 
girl, I command you, in the name ot the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost, to leave her." 

In an instant, the arms of the girl dropped loosely by 
her side, the rigid tension of the whole muscles of her 
frame ceased, her face assumed its usual calm expres- 
sion, she sank into a chair, closed her eyes for a mo- 
ment, and then opened them again with a confused look 
around the room, as if she had just awakened from a 
sleep. She remembered nothing of what she had been 
doing, or of what had been going on around her. 

The above striking incident formed the occasion of 
considerable conversation aniong the company. A very 



THE EAPPERS. 63 

pleasant old lady, in a neat cap, and whom we alluded 
to in a former account of this circle, as being a Medium, 
remarked that the girl Medium had been violently 
seized by an evil spirit before, and that she had been 
quieted by the reading of the bible ; to which remark 
he of the rosy face answered that he did not doubt that 
the reading of the bible would do just as well as what 
he had done, that he had only used, by w^ay of experi- 
ment, the old form employed by the Primitive Church 
to exorcise evil spirits, and that the company had seen 
the result. 

He of the rosy face soon afterwards retired, and we 
accompanied him, and have written down the account 
of this incident in our Spiritual Rapping tour, just as it 
occurred, 

THE CIRCLE IN DARK. 

In company with a well-known public Medium, and 
with a friend whose faith in Spiritual Rappings has no 
limits to its fervor and sincerity, we paid a visit to the 
house of a private Medium, where, we were told, the 
table was in the habit of performing curious antics, and 
where strange spiritual lights were to be seen. After 
the ceremony of pur introduction was over, and we w^ere 
made acquainted with the Medium and several others 
who joined the circle, the room was darkened, and the 
spirits asked if they would make themselves manifest. 
The table immediately began to tip and dance about, 
raps were heard on it, and finally it was raised above 
the heads of the party, lowered dowm, legs uppermost, 



64: THE RAPPER8. 

and then returned to its right position. The table was 
a small mahogany one, and no hands of the party pre- 
sent had any agency in moving it. Of this we feel 
assured. In the meantime, one of the Mediums present 
— for there were several— exclaimed, " See what beau- 
tiful lights on the table !" We looked, and saw some- 
thing in the shape of a small star flickering around the 
table, but whether it came from a crack in the door or 
window, or was a reflection of some glass, we could 
n<jt decide ; it looked very pretty, however, and might 
well pass for a spiritual manifestation. In the mean- 
time, several present exclaimed that they were touched 
by the spirits, and among the rest our friend with the 
boundless fliith. We were asked if we had not felt our 
self touched, but not having to our knowledge been thus 
honored, we were obliged to respond " No." 

No other manifestations of any consequence took 
place in the circle in the dark, and we returned home. 
On our way, in talking to our friend with the boundless 
faith, we remarked that we had heard that he had many 
wonderful communications from the spirits, some of 
them quite amusing. 

" Spirits are sometimes jocular as well as mortals," 
he answered, with the most perfect simplicity, " as wit- 
ness what I had one day just before dinner. The com- 
munication was written as follows : 

" ' Friend, it is about dinner time ; don't forget your 
dinner ; go right ofl* to your dinner. 

(Signed) Booth.' " 



THE RAPPERS. 65 

"And," added our friend, " the signature was hardly 
traced before a postscript was added : 

"'Yes; don't forget your dinner, and go to Win- 
dust's. (Signed) Hamblin.' " 



66 THE RAPrERS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE SPIRIT OF THE REV. JOHN N. MAFFIT. 

During our investigations into the subject of Spiritual 
Rappings, we often had occasion to visit the rooms of 
Mr. C, the public Tipping Medium, whom we have be- 
fore spoken of in the first chapter of this book. We 
think it was at our second or third visit, that we were 
particularly struck with a gentleman present who was 
completely in a fog with reference to a spirit that ex- 
pressed its desire to communicate with him. We saw 
the same gentleman almost every time we visited Mr. 
C, and he was in the same fog about the same spirit 
until on a certain night, the fog, in some measure, 
cleared away. As there is considerable singularity 
about the manoeuvres of this gentlemnn in the fog, with 
the spirit which befogged him, we shall relate all about 
tne matter, as far as we ourself was an actual witness. 

The gentleman to whom we have alluded above, and 
whom, for want of a more distinctive appellation, we 
shall call the gentleman in the fog, appeared before us, 
when we first saw him, as a very pleasant personage to 
look upon. He was dressed in deep black, his fore- 
head was high, and gave evidence of intellect ; his eyes 



THE RAPPERS. 67 

were large, very expressive, and the light which shone 
out from them was not at all obscured by a light pair 
of steel spectacles. His face was round and full, encir- 
cled with well laid out and thickly populated black 
whiskers ; his person was stout and well conditioned, 
and in addition to the intellect exhibited by his head, 
his whole air denoted that he was one of the best na- 
tured fellows in the world. His hands rested reveren- 
tially on the table, and his look around was curious and 
inquiring. We at once set him down as an investiga- 
tor, which opinion was confirmed, when in answer to 
a question put to him as to whether or not he believed 
in Spiritual Rappings, he answered : 

" I neither believe nor disbelieve, have not any opin- 
ion about it, am open to conviction, open to all kinds of 
knowledge from spirits in the spirit land and mortals in 
this ; the spirits may talk to me, or knock on me, or 
grasp'me, or rap around me, do anything they please, 
only if they will identify themselves as spirits it will 
be all I ask of them, so let them come on and give 
proof, that's what I am after ; therefore, Mr. C, if you 
have no objection, I will now ask if there is any spirit 
here who wishes to communicate with me ]" And the 
gentleman in the fog had no sooner uttered these last 
words, than the table tipped up and thumped very em- 
phatically three times, meaning thereby to say " yes." 

" Well," said the gentleman in the fog, " if I write 
some names on several slips of paper, will you tell me 
whether either of them is the spirit now present 1" 

The answer to this question was " yes," and the gen- 



68 THE RAPPEES. 

tleman wrote several names of living persons and the 
name of one dead one on slips of paper, rolled them 
tightly up, threw them on the table, and then pointing 
to each successfully, asked if that was the one. The 
table tipped three times to one of the slips of paper, 
and the gentleman in the fog took it up, and was about 
opening it, when Mr. C. suggested that before he opened 
it he had better ask the spirit to spell out by alphabet 
the name on the paper. The question was asked, the 
spirit (so-called) answered " yes," and the calling of the 
alphabet having been commenced, a name was spelt 
out, which, on being compared to that in the paper, 
proved to be the same, and the name of the only dead 
person among those written on the several slips of 
paper. The gentleman in the fog here asked many 
questions of the spirit who professed to be commu- 
nicating with him, but from the expression of hi s^ face 
and the twinkle of his eyes under his spectacles, we 
were under the impression that he thought that the 
answers did not amount to much. 

At this moment Mr. C.'s arm began to quiver, and 
his fingers to twitch, as if he was in haste to beat a 
lightning tatoo. Having, however, grasped a pencil, 
the lightning tatoo resolved itself into a lightning dis- 
patch by writing, which, being flushed by an eccentric 
whirl of the pencil, read as follows : 

Dear Friend — I am glad you are investigating this 
subject. Go on, I will aid you. 

(Signed,) John. 



THE KAPPEES. 69 

" For whom is that ?" said the gentleman in the fog. 

" For you," answered Mr. C. ; and the table gave 
three loud tips, as if in endorsement of Mr. C.'s 
words. 

"For rnel" said the gentleman in the fog, and his 
eyes opened so wide that a semi-circle of white ap 
peared above and below the rims of his spectacles, 
" For me 1 — pshaw ! you must be mistaken ; I do not 
know any dead John." 

Again the table gave three bumping tips, as much as 
to say that the gentleman in the fog was mistaken, and 
that he did know a dead John. 

" I do 7iot know you, friend John," again reiterated 
the gentleman in the fog, and again came three bumps 
of the table, meaning that the gentleman in the fog did 
know friend John. 

The gentleman in the fog here, very resolutely, took 
his hands from the table, and, running them deep into 
his pantaloons' pockets, leaned back and said, " This is 
very strange : I emphatically assert that I do 7iot know 
this John, and he insists that I do. Well, I will ask 
him one more question. Friend John, will you have 
the kindness to tell me your surname 1" 

The table answered with two tips, meaning thereby, 
" Not now." 

The fog gathered deeper and deeper about the gentle- 
man in the fog, and he appeared to be nonplussed. But 
he tried again — 

" Friend^ John, will you tell me your surname 1" 
"Yes." 



TO THE RAPPERS. 

" Will you tell me here ?" 

"No." 

" Will you tell me up at my house 1" 

"No." 

"Will you come up to my house and rap on the 
head-board of my bed 1" 

"Yes." 

" Am I a Medium ?" 

" Yes," and the three tips this time almost turned the 
table over. 

" When will you come up and rap at my house — 
within a week "?" 

"Yes." 

" Will you spell out your name by alphabet when 
you tell it to me ?" 

"No." 

" How, then, shall I find it out 1 Will it flash across 
my mind, and you then confirm it ?" 

" Yes." 

" Have you anything more to say now V 

" No." 

" Then good-bye, friend John, and permit me to say 
you are a very curious fellow." 

And, as the gentleman in the fog bid John adieu, the 
semi-circle of white above and below his spectacles was 
very large, and the fog was so thick before him that he 
evidently thought he could cut it with a knife. 

Such is a literal account of what we heard and saw 
when we first met the gentleman in the fog at Mr. C.'s 
table. 



THE RAPPERS. ^ 71 

Two weeks elapsed, and again we met the gentleman 
in the fog at Mr. C.'s. He was still in the fog, and sat 
back from the table, looking very inquiringly on, but 
asking no questions. 

Snddenly, however, the table tipped very loudly three 
times, and, all around it having asked if it was a spirit 
for any of them, and having been answered it was not, 
the gentleman in the fog very modestly remarked that 
possibly it might be some spirit for him — perhaps friend 
John. 

The table now fairly danced, as much as to say that 
the spirit was for the gentleman in the fog, and was no 
other than the veritable John. 

Like a warrior buckling up his armor before he goes 
forth to the fight, the gentleman in the fog buttoned up 
his coat, drew his chair up to the table, and prepared to 
attack John this time in right earnest. 

"Friend John," he said, "you stick to me like wax; 
now manifest yourself — tell who you are." 

C.'s arm and hands were immediately no bad imita- 
tion of chain-lightning, and the express, when deciphered, 
read as follows : 

My Dear Friend — I am the individual against whom, 
while on earth, you wrote so severely. You did me an 
injury while on earth, and I am now here to do good for 
evil. (Signed,) John. 

" John, you are mistaken ; I have never written 
against any John in any newspaper." 



72 THE BAPPER8. 

The table tipped that John was not mistaken, and the 
tips were emphatic. 

" John, how have I written severely about you — give 
me some clue f 

The answer, written through the hand of Mr. C, was 
as follows : 

" You were not aware of what you were doing ; you 
wrote unthinkingly." 

" I did not do it then maliciously "?" 

And again the answer came in writing : 

" No ; you did it to make a good article : you news- 
paper people are the kindest people in the world." 

" John, you are rather satirical." 

" Yes, sir." 

" But, John, how are you going to return to me good 
for evil V 

"''By helping you to investigate this subject, and 
making you of service to mankind." 

John said much more to the gentleman in the fog, 
and another spirit (so-called) made a communication in 
writing to the gentleman in the fog, signing the initials 
B. D., and telling him that he (the gentleman in the fog) 
was destined to be a shining light in Spiritualism, and 
that he (the spirit B. D.) would help John in serving 
the gentleman in the fog in his investigations after 
spiritual truth. 

" But, John," again said the gentleman in the fog, 
"you have not yet told me your name ; you are all 
wrong — I never knew you, never wrote a line against 
any John, and it strikes me, John, (excuse me if I use 



THE KAPPERS. 73 

a very common word here on the earth) it strikes me 
that you are humbugging me." 

The table tipped " No." 

" But I think you are, John ; you have told me what 
was not true ; others may have abused you in news- 
papers, but I never have, and besides you promised to 
come and rap on my bed and you have not, and above 
all you resolutely refused to tell me your surname so 
that I can identify you. Now, once for all, John, will 
you tell me your surname at this moment and satisfy 
me?" 

" No !" was the answer tapped by the table, and then 
the circle broke up, and the gentleman in the fog de- 
parted with the rest. 

A few evenings after this, we were sitting with Mr. 
C. and a full circle, around the table of Mrs. B., the pub 
lie Rapping Medium of whom we have before spoken. 
On looking about, we found that the gentleman in the 
fog was seated next to us, and in answer to a question 
whether he was still in a fog with reference to his friend 
John, he answered with a pleasant smile, "Yes." Be- 
side the gentleman in the fog, there was another person 
in the circle who attracted our attention. This was a 
lady, delicate in figure, with very black hair and eyes, 
and a full supply of flowers on the inside border of her 
pretty little bonnet. Tlie lady was evidently an unbe- 
liever, for she twirled her pencil in her white little hand, 
and said with an air of slight contempt — 

" I have never had any satisfactory communications, 
and the spirits, as they call them, have told me some 



74 THE EAPPEES. 

most tremendous untruths ;" and then turnhig to an in- 
telligent looking gentleman at the table, she asked, " Do 
you think, sir, that spirits would lie '?" 

" It is not impossible," or something to that effect, 
was the answer ; " finite beings are not always truthful, 
and spirits not yet developed, may possibly speak 
falsely. I do not think it strange, perhaps there is no 
one at this table, who has not either uttered or thought 
an untruth to-day. No one is perfect and all spirits are 
not." 

The lady in the black hair and the flowery bonnet 
drew up slightly a very pretty mouth, and said that she 
did not think she had uttered or thought, that day, an 
untruth, and that she did not agree with the gentleman's 
doctrine about the spirits. 

The gentleman, here referred to, now asked some 
questions mentally, which were answered by frequent 
and loud rappings, which appeared to us to be under the 
table, but which he said were on his foot. What the 
questions were we did not learn, but the answers to them 
appeared to be satisfactory to the asker. He had also 
a communication from his brother, spelt out by the al- 
phabet, which was very pretty both in language and 
sentiment. Each one around the table now successively 
questioned the spirits, until it came to the turn of the 
gentleman in the fog. 

" Is there any spirit here for meV asked the gentle- 
man in the fog, and " yes" was the answer rapped on the 
table directly in front of the gentleman in the fog. 

" Is John here ?" 



THE RAPPERS. 75 

And three loud raps conveyed the information that 
John was again on hand. 

"John, will you tell me your surname now?" 

" Yes." 

"Will you spell it outi" 

"No." 

" If I write down a number of surnames, will you rap 
at the right one ?" ' 

"Yes." 

The gentleman in the fog, as if some sudden idea had 
struck him, wrote down several surnames, so that no 
one but himself could see them, and then pointing with 
his pencil to each, asked the spirit to rap at the right 
one. 

The rap came, and the gentleman looked rather sur- 
prised, and said : 

" John, can you identify yourself to me ?" 

The answer spelt out by alphabet was : 

" I can convince you by fair testing." 

" Well, do it." 

And again the answer, spelt out by alphabet, was as 
follows, directed to Mrs. B. : 

"I will give him some hard knocks if you let some 
one hold your feet." 

Mrs. B. here expressed a wish that the gentleman in 
the fog would not hold any further communication with 
this spirit, as she feared it was not a very good one, but 
the gentleman in the fog thought John would turn out 
a pretty good spirit after all. 

" John," he said, " I wave the holding of Mrs. B.'s 



76 THE RAPPEES. 

feet, so knock me as hard as you please and make your- 
self manifest." 

But there were no knocks from John on the person 
of the gentleman in the fog, but the alphabet was called 
for by the spirit, and the following communication spelt 
out : 

"My Friend — I am a preacher. I Mdsh I had ten 
thousand tongues, and I would undo all the wrongs I did 
when I lived in your sphere. I could easily identify my- 
self if you remember the scar. I cling to you, as you 
appear to be a sincere seeker after truth. I am happy 
to manifest my presence to circles who are unprejudiced 
and charitable to all. God is merciful to all his chil- 
dren, and before his throne I humbly bow in prayer for 
all who are willing to be blessed." 

"(Signed,) "J. M." 

" Does the initial of the surname correspond to that 
which you wrote and to which the spirit rapped V asked 
Mrs. B. 

" Yes," answered the gentleman in the fog, " and the 
name I suppose is John Maffit, who was once a cele 
brated Methodist preacher, for I wrote the surname of 
Maffit on the slip of paper, and the spirit picked it out. 
The name flashed across my mind and I wrote it." 

The table gave three loud raps in confirmation of the 
words of the gentleman in the fog. 

" But," said he, " I never saw Mr. Maffit M'hen alive. 
Has he a scar 1" 



THE KAPPEES. T7 

Some gentleman at the table answered that Maffit 
nad one on his lip. 

" Did you have a middle name f said the gentleman 
m the fog; addressing himself to the so-called spirit. 

"Yes." 

And the correct name was indicated by raps, several 
other names having been written down w^ith it and 
pointed to with a small pencil, as before. 

" Now, John, answer me these questions — did I ever 
see you ?" 

"• No." 

" Did I ever persecute you ?" 

" No." 

" Have you anything more to say f 

" No." 

" Then good night," and the gentleman in the fog bid 
the circle good evening and departed. 

Whether the gentleman in the fog is in the fog still, 
we are at present unadvised, but w'e have written down 
the whole spiritual scenes in regard to John and the 
gentleman in the fog, just as they occurred, and thus 
place them before the reader. 



T8' THE RAPPERS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

OLIVER BLODGE, THE MURDERER. 

One afternoon, having partaken, with great zeal and 
zest, of an excellent dinner, and feeling perfectly at 
peace " with all the world and the rest of mankind," 
we were consequently in a most fit frame of mind to 
listen complacently and impartially to any information 
which might turn up concerning the world of spirits as 
interpreted by the Spirit Rappers, into the mysteries of 
whose faith we were making our philosophical investi 
gations. It was our fortune, while the good effects of 
our good dinner were still pleasantly with us, to drop 
into the office of a friend, where the mysteries of Spirit- 
ual Rappings and Table Tippings and Turnings were in 
process of being discussed, and we accordingly pricked 
up our ears and prepared, in the language of the immor- 
tal Mr. Bunsby, to " make a note of it." The party at 
our friend's office exhibited among its members just 
such a variety of opinions on the subject under discus- 
sion, as to render the conversation very entertaining, 
and withal extremely unctuous. On the faces of several 
of the persons present there was a pleasant smile of 
incredulity ; one or two looked slightly contemptuous ; 



THE RAPPERS. T9 

some presented on their countenances a sort of either- 
way-edness expression, strikingly suggestive of the idea 
of a fence with a sitting occupant of an accommodating 
disposition ; some looked trusting and believing, others 
wonder-struck, while one individual leaned back cozily 
in his chair, and with his hands folded comfortably over 
a most portly corporeal rotundity, presented to the 
gaze of the company a round expanse of face, which we 
cannot better describe than by saying that it seemed a 
perfect blank as far as it exhibited any index of the 
workings of his mind. 

The principal speaker in the party was a man of 
intellectual appearance, and although the flaxen mous- 
tache and imperial, which graced his upper lip and chin, 
gave evidence that he heartily repudiated all modern 
hair-dyes, the zeal and earnestness with which he 
spoke, showed that his soul was thoroughly colored 
with the dye of Modern Spiritualism, that he loved the 
dye, and had no desire to wash it out. 

While the man with the flaxen moustache and impe- 
rial was in the midst of an animated account of his 
experience in spiritual manifestation, the portly man 
with the blank face suddenly roused himself up and 
exclaimed in a jocular tone : 

" Now you do not believe all you have been saying, 
do you 1 are you not given to dreaming when you are 
awake ?" 

" Believe it, sir 1 as firmly as I stand here. I cannot 
help believing it, because I have had such astonishing 
and convincing proofs : and besides, I wish to believe 



80 THE RAPPERS. 

in Spiritualism, for the spirits have done me an im- 
mense deal of good." 

'' Done you good ! how '?" 

" In more ways than on'e ; why, it is but a few days 
ago that a spirit took away my cigar, and 1 have not 
smoked since." 

" Took away your cigar 1 Please give us that story 
in full," and there was a slight twinkle in the eye of the 
man with the blank face, as he made this request. 

"The story," answered the man with the flaxen 
moustache and imperial, " is simply this. I was smok- 
ing one day while I was writing at my table, and 
having occasion to get up for a moment, I laid the cigar 
down on the table, and when an instant after I reached 
out my hand to pick the cigar up again, it was gone. 
There was no other person but myself in the room, and 
no one but a spirit could have taken the cigar away 
so mysteriously. I considered it as an intimation from 
a spirit that it was best for me not to smoke, and I 
have not since, and I feel better for it." 

"Well, you will do," answered the man with the 
blank face. " You have gone in, I see, completely, 
moustache, imperial, and all ; but, by the by, as you 
must know all about the Spiritual Rappers, can you 
tell me anything about a certain spirit called Oliver 
Blodge, the murderer 1 I have begun to investigate a 
little this table rapping and turning business, and since 
I commenced I have heard considerable about one 
Oliver Blodge, a rather remarkable spirit (as he is 



THE RAPPEES. 81 

called) who has made some queer manifestations in cer- 
tain circles. What do you know about him V 

"A great deal," answe,red the man with the flaxen 
moustache and imperial ; " I have seen him, and I will 
tell you all I know about him. There is in this city a 
highly respectable private circle of spiritualists with 
whom I am acquainted, and among whom are some 
musicians and actors of note. They meet once a week, 
and have had some wonderful manifestations. Among 
other spirits who have been in the habit of communi- 
cating with this circle, that of Ben Jonson has been one 
of the most frequent. He has manifested himself under 
four different names, one of which is O'Shucks. Mr. 
S., a member of the circle, who is a good medium, has 
been often favored particularly with the communications 
of O'Shucks, — in fact O'Shucks declared himself to be 
the guardian spirit of Mr. S., and Mr. S. received and 
acknowledged him as such. At some of the earliest 
meetings of this circle to which I refer, besides the spi- 
rit of O'Shucks, another remarkable spirit manifested 
himself, signing his name Oliver Blodge, and making 
some communications not very choice in language or 
pure in tone. When questioned as to who and what he 
had been while he was in his mortal form, he answered 
very bluntly that he had been hung for murder, some 
half a century ago." 

We will continue this part of the narrative of the man 
with the moustache, in our language. 

From the time Blodge thus announced his character, 
he kept continually thrusting himself, as above referred 



82 THE EAPPEKS. 

to, on the circle, making communications at inopportune 
times — making them sometimes in profane and some- 
times in abusive language, and always so manifesting 
himself as to render himself disagreeable to the circle ; 
although frequently, even in his outrageous communi- 
cations, he was amusing. At length, one evening, when 
the circle were seated, Blodge took possession of Mr. 
S., and wrote out through his hand as follows : — 

"Wouldn't you like me better than O'Shucks for 
your guardian spirit 1" 

Mr. S. answered that he " liked O'Shucks very well." 

" But wouldn't you like me as well ?" asked Blodge. 

Mr. S., in a laughing way, returned " Yes" for answer. 

" Then won't you take me for your guardian spirit, 
for O'Shucks is a humbug V again asked Blodge. 

" Oh, yes," again laughingly answered Mr. S. 

" Then write down on a piece of paper that you will 
do so," said Blodge. 

Mr. S. did as Blodge requested, and asked the latter 
if he saw what he had written. 

" Yes," answered Blodge, " but that is not enough — 
you must sign it." 

Mr. S. made the required signature of his name, and 
" ever since that time," said the man with the flaxen 
moustache and imperial, laying great emphasis on his 
words, " O'Shucks has not been able to communicate 
through Mr. S., so completely has Blodge monopolized 
him. S. indeed signs O'Shucks' name sometimes to 
communications written through his hand, but it is 



THE EAPPEES. 83 

Blodge who does it, and counterfeits O'Shiicks' signa- 
ture." 

" Terrible !" exclaimed, at this point of the narrative, 
the man with the blank face, who had paid the most 
strict attention to all the above account of Blodge the 
murderer, given by the man with thejnoustache and im- 
perial. " However," continued he of the blank face, " I 
like to hear it. Is there any more to come ? I think you 
said you saw the spirit of this awful Oliver Blodge." 

" So I did," answered he of the moustache. " Wait a 
minute and I will come to that part. Soon after Blodge 
had thus, as I have said, taken a monopoly of the Me- 
dium, Mr. S., and made it a practice to counterfeit 
O'Shucks' name through the hand of Mr. S., another 
Medium, who was in "the habit of attending the circle, 
had a spiritual communication which told him the secret 
of discovering when O'Shucks' name was forged b}' 
Blodge, And at a subsequent meeting of the circle, the 
Medium referred to, by way of experiment, asked Mr. 
S. if he could give the signature of O'Shucks, as he had 
before been in the habit of doing before Blodge had ob- 
tained control of him. — Mr. S. answered that he could, 
but the other Medium doubting, asked him to try. Mr. 
S. took a pencil, and after a convulsive effort wrote the 
name O'Shucks. The Medium took the paper, examined 
it, and said, "This is not O'Shucks' signature; try 
again." Mr. S. did so several times, and each time the 
forgery of O'Shucks' name was detected. The Medium 
now commanded the spirit, in the name of the living 
God, to write his (the spirit's) own name. And imme- 



84 THE KAPPER8. 

diately, through the hand of Mr. S., was written the 
name ' Oliver Blodge.' The Medium then again ad- 
dressed Blodge, in the name of the living God, and 
defied him to wTite again the name of O'Shucks. Mr. 
S. was immediately convulsed, his pencil moved over 
the paper without writing anything, and Oliver Blodge 
was overcome in his forging propensities. i\.t this time 
all at the table felt an unpleasant influence about them, 
and I myself, who was present, although I did not see 
anything, felt as if a form, not mortal, was by me, and 
that form w^as Oliver Blodge." 

" Then you did not see Oliver, after all," exclaimed the 
man with the blank face, as he slightly shifted the posi- 
tion of his folded hands and looked up inquiringly. 

" Do not be in quite such a hurry ; I did see Oliver 
Blodge, but not then. A few days after this occurrence 
at the circle, when I was alone in my room, and wide 
awake as I am now, I saw a form standing in the corner 
. of the room, which I knew at once to be the spirit of 
Oliver Blodge. His face was disgusting and revolting 
to look at — red, livid and bloated, and he had a green 
patch over one of his eyes. He was dressed in a coarse 
pea-jacket, such as I suppose he wore when he was in 
mortal form on the earth. I did not wish to have any 
thing to do with such a spirit — so I commanded him, 
with a strong effort of my will, to go, and not come to 
me again. He disappeared with a whirl, and on look- 
ing a moment afterwards at the bell-wire, near which 
he had stood, I found that it was all twisted into a heap, 



THE EAPPEES. 85 

and no other but the spirit of Oliver Blodge could have 
done it." 

" He was probably very mad because you sent him 
away so unceremoniously," said the man with the blank 
face, and the conversation on spiritualism in our friend's 
office then came to a close. 

The above was what we heard from the gentleman 
with the flaxen moustache and imperial, in reference to 
the spirit of Oliver Blodge, the murderer. We come 
now to what we ourself were witness to in regard to the 
same so-called spirit. 

A few evenings after the above conversation, in our 
friend's office, we visited the residence of Mr. J. F. W., 
and were introduced to a private circle of spiritualists, 
who were in the habit of assembling there. On looking 
around, we discovered that a very worthy public 
Medium of this city was present, and also our acquaint- 
ance, the man with the blank face, whom we had seen at 
our friend's office when the man with the flaxen mous- 
tache and imperial gave his experience in regard to the 
spirit of Oliver Blodge. 

Although all the persons (consisting about equally of 
ladies and gentlemen) assembled at Mr. W.'s circle 
were plainly of intellectual and refined character, we 
were particularly struck with two individuals. The 
one was a young lady in the bloom of youth and beauty. 
With dark glossy hair parted in graceful curls over her 
clear and noble forehead, beneath which two piercing 
black eyes looked laughingly and khidly out from under 
long silken eye-lashes, and with a whole expression of 



86 THE KAPPERS. 

countenance which said plainly that she was possessed 
of a lively intellect and great amiability of disposition, 
we thought that the spirit could not choose a more per- 
fect Medium to communicate with mortals, if indeed 
they do hold such communication. We were informed 
that she was a Medium, through whom the spirits not 
only spoke, but to whom they manifested themselves in 
visible shape and form. The other person who attracted 
our attention, was a middle-aged man, whose peculiar 
characteristics were a subdued manner when talking of 
or to the spirits, and an eye which beamed with kind- 
ness and sensibility. He was a firm believer in spiritu- 
alism. 

" Is there any spirit here who wishes to communicate 
with me 1" asked abruptly the man with the blank face. 

The table, which was a large circular mahogany one, 
tipped emphatically " yes." 

" Who is it ?" and the words had hardly left his 
mouth, before the hand of the Public Medium, whom 
we have noticed as being present, was immediately 
seized by the supposed spirit, and the hand wrote the 
name " Oliver Blodge." 

" Ah, Oliver, you are here, are you ?" said he of the 
blank face, very composedly. 

" Yes, and mean to stick to you," was the answer 
written out by the hand of the Public Medium whom 
we have before mentioned. (We may as well say here 
that all the answers by Oliver Blodge to the man with 
the blank face were written through the hands of this 
Medium.) 



THE EAPPERS. 87 

" You mean to stick to me ?" said he of the blank 
face. " Well, do so ; and now give me some physical 
manifestation of your presence." 

" You'll have it on your head soon." 

" Well, do it now." 

But the promised manifestation on the head of the 
man with the blank face, was not given. 

" 01i.ver," continued the man with the blank face, " I 
am afraid you are a bad fellow. Were you a murderer, 
and is all that I heard a gentleman tell about you the 
other day, in my friend's office, true ?" 

"Yes." 

" Oliver, do you fear God ?'* 

" I have yet to find Him." 

" Then you have never seen God V* 

"No." 

" Do you expect to see Him "?" 

" Don't know." 

" Then you do not fear Him f 

"Now listen to my answer. I do not fear God for 
the same reason that I love Him." 

" A very good answer, Oliver, for you to make ; but, 
Oliver, give me some test that you are the spirit you 
represent yourself to be." 

" Look under your chair." 

The man with the blank face looked under his chair, 
and after looking in vain for something, said : 

" Oliver, there is nothing there." 

" Neither is there anything in your head," was Oliver's 



88 THE :^APPERS. 

answer. The man with the blank face evidently had the 
worst of it at this point of the conversation. 

"Oliver," continued he of the blank face, "you are 
fooling me." 

" Yes, birds of a feather flock together." 

" Why, you do jiot mean to say that I am a mur- 
derer V 

" Yes, a murderer of common sense." 

" Will you tell me how I have murdered common 
sense ?" 

" No, because you have not progressed far enough to 
comprehend it if I should tell you ; you want some- 
thing which you are very much in need of." 

" What is that ?" 

"You want more confidence in spirits and less in 
theology." 

" Do you think I am a churchman V 

" You are worse ; your mind is shackled by the gall 
ing chains of error and superstition, because you sup- 
pose that the invocation of the Trinity can cast out evil 
spirits." 

"You are still severe on me, Oliver." 

" I wish to pump you full and then drain you off at 
leisure." 

" What will be left when you have done ?" 

" An apology for common sense." 

"Do you mean to say that I have no common 
sense 1" 

" I mean to say that you are full of common, and 
short of sense." 



THE RAPPERS. 89 

"What do you mean by the common, of which you 
say 1 am full ?" 

"Early prejudice." 

'■ What sort of a fellow am I, any way V 

" One whom the spirits will soon handle as they 
please." 

" Favorably ?" 

"Yes." • 

" Oliver, have you gone yet V 

" No ; and you'll find out soon that I have only just 
begun." 

"You say that you are going to stick to me. Do 
you intend to try to exert a bad influence over me ?" 

" My business is to get the bark off." 

" Is there any bark about me^" 

"Yes, and considerable wind, too." 

"You are getting saucy, Oliver; and as you will not 
let me see you, I would ask how you look ?" 

" Like hell and the devil." 

" Oliver Blodge, you are a bad spirit., and 1 wish you 
would retire ; I do not wish to say anything more to 
you." 

"I only mentioned those names to see what effect, a 
devil, which is not to be found, and a hell which has no 
existence, would have upon you." 

"What sphere are you in, Oliver?" 

" I never learned to count, but should judge that I was 
in sympathy with you ; but my friend, you are a fine 
fellow, and will one day make a fine spirit." 

"Oliver, are you happy?" 



90 THE RAPPERS. 

" Ask the mariner if he rejoices at the dawn of a beauti- 
ful morning, after having been tempest-tossed for weeks." 

" Will you let me see you, Oliver]" 

" I would willingly, if you would disperse the mist of 
doubt v^hich intervenes." 

During the above conversation between the man with 
the blank face and the so-called spirit of Oliver Blodge, 
the lady Medium, with the dark hair and bright eyes, 
frequently remarked, as she gazed apparently on va- 
cancy, that she distinctly saw before her the spirit of 
Blodge. When he first appeared in the circle, she said 
that he stood behind the chair of the Medium through 
whom he was writing, and that he was dressed in a pea- 
jacket, had a patch over his eye, but that his face was 
not very repulsive. During the communications between 
him and the man with the blank face, she said that Blodge 
frequently changed his position, often standing behind the 
chair of him of the blank face, sometimes shaking his fist 
at him, and sometimes looking pleasantly. Towards the 
end of the communications, she said that Blodge ap- 
peared in a new dress, consisting of a flowing purple 
robe, with a silver band around his waist, and a crown 
of gold upon his head. 

" And now," continued the lady Medium, when 
Blodge had ceased communicating with the man of the 
blank face, " Now I see him (Blodge) retire into a beau- 
tiful arbor, which is filled with little children clothed in 
white. He holds a book in his hand, and is reading to 
the children. The place is full of other spirits also, and 
a lovely female, dressed in a flowing robe of white. 



THE RAPPERS. 91 

stands among the children. She puts a sparkling jewel 
in the hand of each of the little ones, and sends them on 
a mission to earth, bidding them to return to her. And 
now the little white-robed children are in this room, run- 
ning all about, and now they move away and return to 
the white-robed female who awaits them. In the hand 
of each, where just now sparkled the glittering jewel, 
there is now a lustreless bauble. The female spirit 
breathes upon the baubles, and immediately they change 
into bright and beautiful birds, which fly away." 

The above concluded all the manifestations which oc- 
curred at the circle at the house of Mr. W. on the even 
ing in question. 



92- 



THE RAPPERS. 



CHAPTER Vin. 

POCAHO]S[TAS AND OTHER INDIANS. 

It was a dark muggy night; the heavens were black 
above, and the city lamps below gave no sign of light, 
because they had been put out by a city law, made after 
a Common Council almanac, which said that the moon 
would shine that night, and therefore it was not neces- 
sary for the city to go to the expense of lamplight when 
there would be moonlight ready made to hand. But 
the moon did not shine, according to Common Council 
calculation and economy, and therefore the citizens of 
New- York in general, and ourself in particular, were in 
the dark ; and alone in the dark with the drizzling rain 
beating in our face, we walked down Chambers-street, 
through College-place and down Robinson-street, until 
we came to the residence of Mr. L. T. Not a single 
person did we meet on the way, although it was only 
half-past nine o'clock. We looked around to see if we 
could discover a police star shining out in the darkness, 
but even this consolation was denied us ; the police 
stars, like all other stars, had vanished, and if we had 
been murdered that night, wo feel assured that the»mur- 
derer would never have been discovered, unless some 



THE EAPPEKS. 93 

spirit witness should have made a manifestation next 
day. As, however, we were as usual on a spiritual tour 
we did not feel much afraid of being murdered, and with 
our coat only a little damaged by the wet, and our boots 
somewhat soiled, we entered the spiritual circle assem- 
bled at Mr. T.'s. 

The two girl Mediums, whom we have before de- 
scribed, were present as usual, and the room was more 
crowded with inquirers and spectators than we had ever 
before seen it. 

" Is there any spirit here who wishes to communicate 
with me 1" said we, seating ourself at the table, and 
taking the hand of the youngest girl Medium. " If there 
is, please take possession of this Medium and make the 
communication." 

The girl immediately began to twist and turn her 
body and move the muscles of her face, and finally 
snatching her hand from ours, struck it violently on the 
table several times, and then extended it back again to 
us. We clasped it and said : 

" Does a spirit wish now to speak to usV'^ 

The girl struck her hand, with ours in it, three times 
on the table, which, taking of course as an affirmative 
answer, we continued — 

"Who is the spirit? Is it Oliver Blodge, who mani- 
fested himself last week at Mr. W.'s, when we were 
present ?" 

" No." 

" Is jt the Rev. John Maffit, who also has manifested 
himself in several circles where we have been present ?" 



94: THE RAPPEES. 

"No." 

" Who then is it ? Will you spell out your name by 
alphabet ?" 

"Yes." 

And the alphabet being called, we proceeded to put 
down the letters designated by the so-called spirit ; but 
the result, after a few moments' steady work, was ex- 
tremely complicated in the way of letters, and some- 
what funny in the appearance the letters made. We 
have seen many hard-looking Dutch names written, and 
some Hottentot ones, which no one but a man with an im- 
mense flexibility of tongue, capacity of throat and strength 
of jaws would undertake to pronounce ; but Dutch and 
Hottentot were nothing to words which the spirit now 
spread before us. There were three words to the sp- 
rit's name as spelt out, but-we have room only for the 
last, which read, as near as we could make it out 
" Lotohotowosky." 

" What nation do you belong to V asked we despair 
ingly as we gazed on the name. " Are you Polish 1 for 
your name looks a little that way." 

" No." 

" Well, then we give it up. Please inform us, for we 
cai-niot guess." 

" Indian," was the answer spelt out by alphabet. 

" Did we ever know you ?" , 

" Yes." 

. " You must be mistaken ; we never knew any Indians, 
and all the Indians we ever saw were at Barnum's Mu- 
seum, and of their being the real Simon Pure article 



THE KAPPEKS. 95 

certain waggish persons have expressed great doubt. 
They looked Indian, however, and whooped in the most 
approved style, and therefore we were satisfied ; but, 
friend Lotohotowsky, we must say again that we never 
knew your Indianship. 

"You did." 

" Well, Lotohotowosky, how and where did we ever 
know you V 

" You talked English for me." 

" Ah, this is news indeed ; but although we have not 
the faintest idea where or when we ever talked English 
for you or any other Indian, you may have it your own 
way. But tell us, if you please, what you want with us 
now." 

"If you don't look out, I'll knock you on the head." 

" Lotohotowosky, knock away — we are ready to re- 
ceive any physical demonstration in proof of spiritual- 
ism." 

But the knock was not given, and we continued- — 

" Lotohotowosky, will you knock us now ?" 

"No." 

" Will you do it to night ?" 

" Yes." 

"Here?" 

"No." 

" Will you do it when we walk up Robinson street ?" 

"No." 

" When we walk up Chambers street 1" 

" No." 

" When we p^o up Broadway ?" 



96 THE EAPPEE8. 

"Yes." 

" When you knock us down in Broadway, will you 
leave us to take care of ourself ?" 

" No." 

" Will you call a police officer ?" 

" No." 

" Would one come if you did ?" 

" No." 

" Do they ever come when they are wanted ?" 

" No." 

" Lotohotowosky, you do not appear to think much 
of the New York police." 

" Indian scare them all with a whoop." 

The gh-1 Medium here unloosed our hand, gave a 
slight shrug, recovered her natural state, and Lotohoto- 
wosky of course was gone. We ourself soon after 
departed. 

We may state here, that all the answers of the sup- 
posed spirit of Lotohotowosky, to our questions, were 
spelt out by alphabet. 

We voluntarily subjected ourself to the inconveni- 
ence and unpleasantness of walking up the whole length 
of Broadway, in order to give Lotohotowosky a chance 
to kuQck us down, and test the vigilance of the police, 
as he had represented it. But we reached home in 
safety, without the sign of a knock, either from the 
spirit of Lotohotowosky, or from the hand of a rowdy. 
We considered the last exemption more remarkable 
than the former. 

A few evenings after the above occurrence, we were 



THE EAPPEES. 97 

present at a private circle where we found, among 
others, Mr. C, a Medium of our acquaintance, and the 
young lady Medium whom we described in our last week's 
report as being present at Mr. W.'s circle, and through 
whom the spirits not only spoke, but to whom they fre- 
quently made themselves visible. We have already given 
an account of the visions which this Medium saw when 
we were present at Mr. W.'s. On the evening above 
referred to, when we again met this seeing and speaking 
lady Medium, she looked very different from when we 
at first saw her. The same black and bright eyes were 
indeed there, but the bloom on her cheek had given way 
to an almost deadly paleness, which enhanced the 
brilliancy of her eyes, and gave her an unearthly 
expression which attracted the attention of all towards 
her. Her eyes seemed constantly fixed on vacancy, 
and when we extended our hand in greeting, and 
addressed her by the name of Josy (the familiar con- 
traction of her right Christian name, Josephine,) she 
answered : 

' " Josy not here — gone away ; Pocahontas here, and 
speak to you. Pocahontas know you, and glad to see 
you ; but Josy gone away." 

We turned a look of inquiry around the circle; we 
did not exactly understand the position of things, and 
wished for information. ¥/e were answered, that Jose- 
phine, the Medium, had for two days been possessed by 
the spirit of Pocahontas ; that during that time she had 
not appeared or talked in her natural character, and 



98 THE RAPPEES. 

that every question asked her, was answered as if Poca- 
hontas was speaking through her. 

"Pocahontas," said we, "do you talk Indian f 

"Pocahontas talk very good English; talk better 
soon." 

"Can you give a war whoop, Pocahontas?" 

Pocahontas gave a whoop which made us jump 
slightly. It takes a great deal to make us jump ; but 
we must confess that Pocahontas's whoop was so good, 
that we were somewhat startled. 

" Pocahontas, do you remember John Smith ?" 

" Yes, Pocahontas remember him ; Pocahontas love 
him ; Pocahontas love you all— do }'0u much good." 

A circle was now formed around the table, in w^hich 
Pocahontas took a seat, laid her hands mechanically 
before her, still keeping her eyes fixed on vacancy. 

" Do you see any spirits around us, Pocahontas ?" 
asked one of the company, 

" Yes, Pocahontas see myriads — the room is full." 

" Is King Phillip or Massasoit here ?" asked we. 

" Powhatan is here," answered Pocahontas, " and he 
will soon make himself known." 

At this moment, another young lady, with a pensive 
cast of countenance, whom we have noticed at various 
circles which we have visited, particularly at that of Mr. 
W., and who was also a Medium, rose from her chair, 
and commenced flapping her hands violently before the 
face of Mr. C. 

The Medium wdth the pensive countenance continued 
to flap her hands before the face and over the head of 



THE KAPPEKS. 99 

Mr. C. for at least fifteen minutes, without flagging in 
the least. During all this time Pocahontas kept her 
eyes steadily fixed on the motion of the hands of her of 
the pensive countenance, and when about fifteen minutes 
had elapsed, she suddenly exclaimed: 

" That's right, Powhatan ; do your duty." 

"Then the person who is now flapping her hands 
before Mr. C. is possessed by the spirit of Powhatan ?" 
asked we. 

" Pocahontas sees Powhatan ; he is here, and will do 
something," was the answer. : 

Taking it therefore for granted that it was the spirit 
of Powhatan who was flapping his hands through the 
person of her of the pensive countenance, over Mr. C, 
we waited to see what Powhatan would do, although 
we confess we were deeply in t\e fog as to what were 
his intentions. 

Soon Mr. C. closed his eyes ; then his whole frame 
became convulsed, and then instantly he fell over, chair 
and all, on the floor. 

" Pocahontas, what is Powhatan doing with Mr. C. ?" 
asked one of the company. 

" Wait and you shall see," was the answer of Poca- 
hontas. 

We did wait, and we looked at Mr. C. extended on 
the floor, to all appearance dead, if it had not been for 
a slight twitching of his muscles, which convinced us- 
that he was still alive. 

" Perhaps he had better be taken care of," said some 
one. 



100 THE RAPPEES. 

" Powhatan will take care of him ; let him lie," said 
Pocahontas. 

And he was left, according to the directions of Poca- 
hontas, with his head in the lap of Powhatan, or rather 
of the lady of the pensive countenance, through whom 
Powhatan was said to be operating. 

Mr. C. laid thus for some ten minutes, when he sud- 
denly rose up from the floor, gave his shoulders a shrug, 
and his eyes a convulsive opening, and leaning against 
the mantel-piece, he came to himself, wondering what 
the spirits had been doing with him. We of course did 
not know, and it is still a mystery what Powhatan was 
after. 

The circle at the table, which had in some measure 
been broken up by the operations of Powhatan with Mr. 
C, was now resumed, and no sooner was such the 
case, than Pocahontas rose up, extended her hand 
towards a lady present, and said : 

" Pocahontas will do you much good. You will 
accomplish what you will. You have a good heart, and 
God will bless you." 

" Then 1 shall be the happiest of mortals," said the 
lady, 

" It shall be so ; Pocahontas has said it, and Poca- 
hontas loves you — God loves you. You know what I 
mean ; what I say, thrills through your soul. Aha ! I 
know it. Bless you !" 

Whatever it was that Pocahontas knew thrilled 
through the soul of the lady, we of course cannot tell ; 
we only know that the lady appeared to understand 



THE RAPPERS. 101 

Pocahontas; that it seemed to touch a chord in her 
heart ; for we saw a tear falling down her cheek. 

After this there was a circle formed in the dark, to 
see if the spirits would manifest themselves through the 
medium of lights. We were of the number ; but no 
lights came after a sitting of some half hour's duration. 
The spirits finally said, by raps, that the circle was 
not formed right, and on calling on the spirits for 
information as to who should and who should not be 
members of the circle, we found ourself among the 
number who had to leave. And so we departed. 

A few evenings after the above manifestations, in com- 
pany with the gentleman with the flaxen moustache and 
imperial, whom we have before mentioned, we started to 
go to the residence of Mr. W., in order to see whether 
the spirit of Pocahontas still kept possession of the lady 
with the dark hair and the bright eyes. On our way, 
however, we stopped at the hall in Broadway, near 
Eleventh-street, where the Spiritualists hold a confer- 
ence every Tuesday evening. 

We found the hall crowded, and a young man attempt- 
ing to speak. He professed to be possessed by the spi- 
rit of Shakspeare, and although we could not recognize 
much of Shakspeare in his language or ideas, yet we felt 
convinced he was himself unconscious of what he was 
doing or saying, jmd that some influence beyond his con- 
trol impelled him to speak. We believe that he could 
not have mustered courage enough to do it if he had 
been in his natural state, for he seemed extremely 
young, and not one who in his natural state could face 



102 THE RAPPEES. 

an audience with a speech. The audience, however, 
seemed not inclined to hear him, and manifested their 
disinclination by hissings and other signs of their wish 
not to hear him. 

All this was very wrong, especially for a body of pro- 
fessed spiritualists, who should, we think, listen to every- 
thing purporting to come from spirits. The issue of 
the matter was, that the young Medium talked away for 
some time amid much confusion, and then sat down. 

The next person who stood up to address the audience, 
was the lady with the pensive countenance, whom we 
mentioned above as having been a few evenings prev- 
iously possessed with the spirit of Powhatan. The spirit 
of Henry Clay was said now to possess her by entrance- 
men t. At least she announced herself as Henry Clay, 
and what she said, was mainly on the subject of 
spiritualism. The manner of her delivery was graceful 
and sometimes sublime. In the course of his speech, 
Henry Clay, through the lady, denounced the course 
which had been pursued by the audience with reference 
to the young man who had before spoken. 

There was another speech made by another lady Me- 
dium named Mrs. F., who came, we believe, from Pitts- 
burgh, and had already created some excitement among 
the spiritualists of New-York as a speaking Medium. 
What spirit animated her we did not learn, but she 
poured forth a stream of pretty words about spiritual- 
ism, but said nothing very tangible for us to chronicle. 

After the conference had concluded its sitting, we 
proceeded with our friend with the flaxen moustache 



THE EAPPERS. 103 

pjid imperial to the residence of Mr. W., where we 
found a crowded circle. Among others were the lady 
Medium, v/hom Pocahontas, as we before have said, had 
taken possession of, and the lady who had spoken at the 
conference in the character of Henry Clay. But the 
spirit of Pocahontas had departed from the one, and 
that of Henry Clay from the other, and both had re- 
sumed their natural characters. 

In the centre of the table around which the circle was 
seated, there was a pretty bouquet of flowers, which had 
been presented by a gentleman to the lady Medium 
who had been the medium of the communications of 
Pocahontas. As soon as the circle had been formed, 
there was silence kept for the space of some moments, 
in order to produce harmony in the circle and give the 
spirits, if they so chose, an opportunity to manifest them- 
selves. The silence was at length broken by the rising 
of a very interesting looking lady, with black hair and 
eyes, and a spiritual cast of countenance, who approached 
a gentleman of pale countenance and very large eyes, 
and. commenced making passes before him with her 
hands. When the passes ceased, the gentleman opened 
his mouth and spoke. Most of what he said was on the 
theory of spiritualism, and as he spoke continually 
during the evening, to the exclusion of almost all other 
manifestations, and as we have not room enough to re- 
cord half of what he said, we can only give the general 
purport. He spoke, successively, in the characters of 
Swedenborg, Shelly, Milton and Edmund Kean. 

He said, in substance, that the great law of God was 



104 THE RAPPEES. 

love, and that the law of men should be love to one 
another ; that the flowers on the table were emblematic 
of the purpose for which the ch'cle had met that night — 
purity ; that poisonous laurel was the wreath for the 
conqueror's brow, but that flowers were the wreaths for 
the pure. That the mission of spirits was to elevate 
mankind. That spirits sometimes assume other names 
than their own, assuming names well known in order to 
attract that attention w^hich their own unknown names 
would fail to command, but that in such cases the names 
of others were assumed by the authority and with the 
knowledge of their rightful owners. He said also that 
a majority of the members of Congress were mere poli- 
tical tricksters, and that spiritualism would soon change 
for the better the complexion of that body. (We here 
mentally hoped that the gentleman might be right.) The 
gentleman Medium, with the large eyes, also gave an 
extract from one of Daniel Webster's speeches, and a 
recitation of a few lines from the soliloquy of Shak- 
speare's Hamlet, "To be or not to be." The soliloquy, 
as far as given, was not correct to the text, but it was 
very near. Perhaps Edmund Kean, who was supposed 
to be speaking, was rather rusty in the text, owing to 
his not having practised the histrionic art in the spirit 
world. 

These speeches of the gentleman Medium having been 
finished, Pocahontas suddenly took possession of the 
lady whom she had before chosen. Elevating her hands 
and eyes to Heaven, she said : 

" Pocahontas repeats what she has before said. Mor- 



. THE EAPPEES. 105 

tals know little of the beauty of angels. Pocahontas 
will give you each a flower. Josy (meanmg herself 
does not like to break the bouquet, but Pocahontas says 
she must." 

And kneeling down, Pocahontas (Josy) took the 
bouquet from the center of the table and reached it forth 
to the gentleman speaking-Medium, telling him that she 
gave him the center flower, which was a japonica. 

The gentleman Medium thanked her, and spoke as if 
he was a young Indian who had known her in youth and 
wandered with her through the woods for the flowers. 
He also again made a few very pretty remarks on the 
emblematic language of flowers. 

Pocahontas now told the gentleman Medium to sepa- 
rate the bouquet, reserving the japonica for himself. 
This was done, and Pocahontas, taking the japonica in 
her hands, raised it upwards and said : 

" Thus fall away all earthly pleasures, (meaning the 
separation of the rest of the flowers from the japonica) 
leaving only hope." 

She then gave back the flower to the gentleman Me- 
dium, shook hands with all in the circle, fell into her 
chair, gave a slight shiver, and Pocahontas had gone, 
and Josy was once more herself. 

No other manifestations of any interest, occurred dur- 
ing this evening. 



106 THE RAPPEES. 



CHAPTER IX. 

SPIRITUAL CONFERENCE, SPIRITUAL BELIEVERS, AND 
PICKLES. 

We pause here, to rest a moment from our journey- 
ings among the spiritual circles, and to indulge in a 
didactic rather than in a wonderful manifestation chap- 
ter. 

We one evening took our way to Dodworth's Musi- 
cal Hall, in Broadway, where the Spiritualists every 
Tuesday evening hold a conference. We found the 
Hall full — full of intellectual looking faces, mingled 
with many of a skeptical cast, and sprinkled with a 
goodly number of bright eyes and chiselled features of 
female beauty, where a mixture of mortal and spirit, 
gave the whole " form," as the spiritualists would say, 
a magnet of attraction which pulled hard upon our 
earthly organs of vision. 

As we entered, a fine looking elderly gentleman, 
named Dr. Hallock, occupied the stand. The substance 
of his remarks was, that the subject of Spiritualism was 
one of grave import ; that the object for which spiritu- 
alists met in that hall, was not so much for spiritual 
manifestations, as to relate facts in regard to Spiritual- 



THE EAPPEES. 107 

ism, of which the relators had been witness, and thus 
build the foundations of this phenomena on a strata of 
truth which cannot be gainsayed. He referred to some 
manifestations which had taken place in the Hall at 
their last meeting, and while he did not doubt the hon- 
esty of the Mediums, he doubted their full develop- 
ment. 

Dr. Hallock was followed by Dr. Gray, who appeared 
to us a thorough-going, but reasonable spiritualist. The 
purport of his remarks was that the world had been 
governed too long by authority ; b}-- king this and that, 
by that author and this author; that names were 
nothing, as long as truth, consonant with reason, was 
elicited ; and that spirits in advanced stages of a Medi- 
um's development, never communicated by names. 

Dr. Gray was succeeded by an old gentleman in a 
long coat, whose name we did not learn. He appeared 
from his broken accent, to be a foreigner, and gave evi- 
dence that in point of acuteness, his head was as long as 
his coat. He said that he did not like to be huni- 
bugged, and that he had been at a certain place a few 
evenings before,' where he thought they were trying to 
humbug him. A person present pretended (as the 
speaker thought,) to be possessed with a spirit, and that 
the spirit was talking through him. " 1 just looked at 
him," said the speaker, "and I thought he opened his 
eyes and peeped a little around to see the effect of 
v\'hat he was saying produced. So I walked up to Mr. 

and said, 'Mr. that fellow is humbugging.' " 

The gentleman in the long coat and with the long head, 



108 THE RAPPERS. 

said much more in the same strain, and we came to the 
conclusion that although he was a firm spiritualist on rea- 
sonable grounds, he was not one over whose eyes the 
wool could be pulled to any great extent. 

The old gentleman in the long coat was followed by 
Mr. Ira Davis, who made some interesting remarks on 
the subject of Spiritualism, and said what we were 
much pleased to hear. He said, in substance, that it 
would be well for spiritualists to put in practice the 
true principles of their theory, and unite in endeavoring 
to raise from false and unhappy positions those who 
were outcasts from society, simply because, although 
society said to them, " Why do you not change your 
position and adopt another course of life ?" society did 
not make the first practical effort to help them to do so. 
Mr. Davis took the ground of expansive charity com- 
bined with material help, and called upon all spiritual- 
ists to practice with their pockets and hands what they 
preached with their mouths. 

Thus much for the spiritual conference. 

It is a fitting place here to record the result of our 
observations in reference to one particular phase of 
Spirit Rapping, viz : the different classes of believers 
which we have met at the various circles we have vis- 
ited. 

' These classes are three — first, believers who always 
require a test ; second, believers who style themselves 
'' elevated," and will listen to nothing but what is 
spoken jhrough speaking Mediums and clothed in the 
most flowery language; and third, believers who believe 



THE EAPPEES. 109 

everything, and never stop to inquire whether there is 
reason in their belief or not. 

AYe have seen the believers of all these three classes 
assembled at one table, and we have seen circles com- 
posed almost entirely of each. In all, the study has 
been curious. 

And first of the Test Believers. These are generally 
very composed-looking individuals, who sit around the 
table with a calm, business-like air, which, while it 
inspires confidence, shows that anything wearing the 
least appearance of humbug, will not do. 

" Is there any spirit here who wishes to communicate 
with me ?" is the question which, after the manner of 
all other inquirers, these Test Believers ask. If the 
answer is " yes," they do not take it for granted that 
the spirit who answers, is the one which they wish, and 
which the spirit represents itself to be. 

"Give me your signal knock," (or tip, as the. case 
may be, according to whether it was a wrapping or tip- 
ping Medium,) is the answer which we have often heard 
by these test inquirers. If the signal rap or tip was 
given, or any other manifestation, by which the inquirer 
could identify the spirit, was afforded, it was well, and 
the inquirer was satisfied ; but if not, the inquirer folded 
his arms and said he was not satisfied, and we think he 
was right. 

The second class of believers we have styled, as they 
style themselves, " elevated." They are so elevated 
that they do not wish to listen to any communications, 
except those which purport to come from those who 



110 THE EAPPERS. 

while "in the form" (as the spiritualists say) bore great 
names, such as Shakspeare, Swedenborg, Milton, Daniel 
Webster, Henry Clay, and a host of other names of the 
like calibre. Guardian spirits of those loved on earth 
are forgotten, and no spirit will be listened to, except it 
comes under an imposing name, and announces itself in 
a beautiful rigmarole of words. We have been present 
evening after evening when such communications were 
made through speaking Mediums, and we have watched 
the impression which those communications made on 
"elevated believers." "Did ever such ^language fall 
from mortal lips," has been the enthusiastic exclamation 
which we have heard a hundred times. 

Last of all comes the third class, who believe every- 
thing. We have seen this class at a spiritual circle. 

" Is the spirit of my little daughter here ?" says a 
mother, bending over the table with folded hands, and 
the tears trickling down from her eyes. " Yes," is the 
answer, and the tears flow afresh, and the head is bowed 
with a deeper reverence. And then follows a long 
communication from daughter to mother, during which 
the tears are changed into sobs. We confess we sym- 
pathize with such parental feelings, whatever our 
opinion of the spirit answers may be. 

" Is the spirit of my wife here 1" asks another, and 
gray hairs are on the brow and wrinkles on the cheek 
of the inquirer. " Yes," is the answer, and then follow 
communications, which cause the wrinkles to be less 
apparent, and the face of the questioner lights up with 
joy. We sympathize with the feelings of this class 
of questioners also. 



THE EAPPERS. Ill 

" Is there any spirit which wishes to communicate 
with me?" asks another, and no matter what spirit 
comes up, the inquirer is satisfied. 

In reference to such an inquirer we have a fact to 
record, which we were told by the inquirer himself. 

" Is there any spirit who wishes to communicate with 
me ?" said one of these extremely credulous believers, 
while seated in a circle and waiting for any manifesta- 
tion which might take place. 

" Yes," was the answer, and the supposed spirit spelt 
out by the alphabet, the name of " Pickles." 

" Well, who is Pickles V said one, and ha ! ha ! 
laughed another. 

But the sober inquirer and unhesitating believer 
answers ; 

"Never you mind about 'Pickles;' it is all right. 
Pickles means something, and we shall one day find out 
what it means." 

" And now," said this believer in the spirit of 
"Pickles," appealing to us, in a conversation which we 
afterwards held with him, " what do you think — I have 
found out what ' Pickles' is." 

"You don't say so ! who is he ?" 

" Look at that," w^as the answer, and the believer in 
the spirit of " Pickles," handed us a letter. 

We looked at the letter; but the writing was awful, 
and it covered four sides of a letter sheet closely 
written. 

" Why, it is signed with the name of ' Mungo Park,' '* 
said we. 



112 THE EAPPEES. 

" Of course it is," said the unwavering believer, "and 
it explains all about ' Pickles ;' just as I said — 'Pickles' 
has turned up right." 

We endeavored to read the letter, in order to find out 
who " Pickles" was ; but the whole letter was hierogly- 
phics to us, and we gave it up in despair. 

" Let me read it for you," said the unwavering 
believer. 

He read it, and the purport of it was that Mungo 
Park had discovered, in the interior of Africa, a strange 
plant, called in the Arabic or some other language, 
" Bickles," which the unwavering believer interpreted 
" Pickles." 

Mungo Park, in his letter, said that this plant Bic- 
cles or Pickles, was of rare virtue, and that the unwa- 
vering believer would be made the medium of making 
its virtues known to the world. Whether he was to go 
into the interior of Africa to accomplish this result, the 
letter did not state, and the unwavering believer is still 
in the city of New York. 

" Where did you get this letter of Mungo Park 1" 
said we. 

"Through the post-office," was the answer. 

At this point of the conversation, we suddenly sepa- 
rated from the believer in " Pickles ;" but we have since 
learned from him, that two pails of pickles were actu- 
ally delivered at his feet, by some unknown person, who 
he declares was sent by the spirits. 



THE RAPPERS. 113 



CHAPTER X. 

THE SPHERES OF THE SPIRIT WORLD THE LOWER, OR 

INFERNAL SPHERE. 

One evening we found ourself in the midst of a pri- 
vate circle of Spiritualists, to which we had been 
invited some time previously. The company present 
was very large ; so numerous that not one half could sit at 
the table, which was a larger one than we have been in 
the habit of seeing at the various places which we have 
visited. 

The Medium present was a young girl, apparently 
not above eighteen years of age. Her hair was black, 
parted simply over her forehead. Her face was full 
and round ; the bloom of health was on her cheeks, and 
a beautiful pair of black eyes looked timidly out at 
those by whom she was surrounded. Her hands were 
small and well formed, and as they rested on the table, 
we confessed to ourself that we had seldom seen a more 
perfect model of a female hand, cast in a mould of 
beauty, with a well-rounded palm and tapeiing fingers. 
She sat perfectly passive, and waited with those around 
her for the manifestation, of whatever spirit should 
choose to make known its presence. 



114 THE RAPPEES. 

" Let the spirits take their own way," said the gen- 
tleman at whose house we were a visitor, " and we shall 
get better communications." 

We, of course had no objections to the spirits doing 
just exactly as they pleased, and while we were waiting 
for them to do something, we cast our eyes around the 
circle to take a note of the persons who composed it. 

All the persons about us had the appearance of firm 
believers and sincere-hearted individuals. They did not 
belong to the aristocracy of New York ; but they 
belonged to that worthy middle class which every coun- 
try should cherish ; for they were of the number of the 
working and producing citizens with whom honesty 
and truth are virtues to be loved for themselves alone, 
and with whom labor is a thing which brings self-respect 
and public honor. 

One individual, however, alone of the circle, struck us 
in such a light as to occasion particular remark in this 
chapter. And he drew our attention, from the interest 
which he manifested in the subject of spiritualism, and 
the reasonable light in which, although he appeared to 
be a firm believer, he viewed the whole phenomena as 
we would say, and the spiritual manifestations, as the 
spiritualists would call them. 

The face of the individual in question was encircled 
and adorned with an immense pair of, what is called, 
sandy-colored whiskers ; his hair was of the same hue ; 
his face pale, but he possessed a pair of gray, little, 
twinkling eyes, which kept moving around the circle as 
if he knew w^hat he was about, and which we thought, 



THE RAPPERS. 115 

displayed a remarkable degree of intelligence. He was 
dressed iu a gray sack-coat, gray vest and gray panta- 
loons. Whether or not he was partial to gray spirits, 
such as Shakspeare mentions, we know not, but certain 
it is that this gentleman in gray was, to use a modern 
classical expression, " around" in the way of Spiritual- 
ismv 

The circle waited some time for spiritual manifesta- 
tions, and the man in gray cloth and with sandy whis- 
kers, spread his hands reverently on the table and waited 
patiently with the rest. 

But the spirits would not come. At length the man 
in gray throw back his head, and commenced singing a 
plaintive song of a spiritual character. There was a 
deep silence, and we expected some very sober spirit 
would have presented itself, but there came instead one 
who announced himself through the girl Medium in a 
rich brogue, which left no doubt but that while on earth, 
his home in the early part of his life, at least, had been 
the green isle of Erin. 

" Faith, and how are you 1 Here I am sure, come to 
see you," said the supposed spirit of the Irishman, 
through the mouth of the girl Medium. 

" How do you do, friend ; but who are you address- 
ing 1" answered a fat little man, with an apple face and 
a pair of small steel spectacles stretched across the top 
of it. The fat little man had not spoken before, and had 
been so quiet in every way that we had not noticed him. 
We are under the impression that he had not much faith 
in spirits, although he looked as if his faith in the exis- 



116 THE RAPPERS. 

tence of markets, was lively and not to be argued out 
of him, 

" Faith, I came to see ye all," was the Irish spirit's 
answer to the fat little man with the apple face. 

A long desultory conversation here followed between 
the spirit of the Irishman and various persons around 
the table, during which the spirit of the Irishman main- 
tained the proverbial wit of his race. He also gave his 
name, which was one of those very common among the 
Irish people, but which did not identify him to any of 
those present, as no one of the circle had ever known him 
on earth. It is not in accordance with our views to give 
the whole of this conversation ; the majority of it was 
mere pleasant badinage between the spirit and the man 
in gray and the man with the apple face. We shall only 
give that part of it which bears directly on the subject 
of spiritualism, which we are investigating. 

"Patrick, (his first name was Patrick) Patrick, how 
did you get in the room f said the man in gray. 

"I came in with the atmosphere, sure; popped in 
when the door was open." 

" But I have not seen that it was open when you came 
in, or even for some time before," answered the man in 
gray. 

" Sure it has been open to-night, hasn't it, boss ; and 
what was to hinder me from coming in thin ?" 

" Well, Patrick, how will you get out ?" 

" Faith, the same way I come in ; do you hear that, 
boss r' 

"Yes, I hear it; but suppose the door is not opened ; 



THE EAPPEES. 117 

how then, Patrick, will you manage it?" and the man 
in gray leaned back, as if he thought he had asked 
Patrick a clincher. 

" The door '11 be opened, boss, sure ; for some of ye 
will be afther going out, and thin I'll go out, too." 

The man in gray looked at the man with the apple 
face, and the man with the apple face looked back at 
the man in gray, and apple remarked to gray that he 
did not think Patrick was very clear on the subject of 
the entrance and exit of spirits. 

" Patrick, what sphere are you in *?" asked apple-face. 

" It's the sixth sphere, sure, that I'm in, boss." 

" What kind of place is Heaven, Patrick V 

"It's a beautiful place, boss, and ye'll be a happy 
man if ye get there. Pray to the Lord, boss, and may 
be ye'll get in." 

" What sort of a place, Patrick, is the first sphere of 
the spirit world ?" 

" They're not happy, a bit, boss ; they want something 
which they cannot get." 

" How is the second sphere V 

" Jist a little better, boss." 

" How is the third sphere ?" 

"They're trying to put up a bit, boss." 

" How is the fourth sphere 1" 

" Not quite so bad, boss ; pray to the Lord, boss ; lovo 
the Lord, boss." 

" How the fifth 1" 

" Middling good, boss ; but not so good as it might 
be ; pray to the Lord, boss." 



118 THE RAPPERS. 

" How the sixth ?" 

" That's where I am, boss.^' 

And Patrick here ceased his communications about 
the spheres. 

" Patrick," continued the man with the apple face, 
" do you see any spirit around me ?" 

" Yes, sure, boss ; there's one standing behind your 
chair." 

" What does he look like, Patrick V 

" Faith, and he don't look as if he was much ; he's 
got a long black gown on, and he holds his head down, 
so that I can't see his face, boss." 

" Ask him what his name is, Patrick." 

" There now," said the supposed spirit of Patrick, 
speaking through the girl Medium, who looked at the 
back of the chair on which the man with the apple face 
sat, and seemed to be addressing the invisible spirit 
there stationed, — " there now, d'ye hear what the gin- 
tleman says 1 he wants to know your name ; hould up 
your head then and tell it like a man ; sure you're not 
afraid to let the gintleman know your name." 

But the spirit with the black gown and hang-down 
head, whom Patrick said he saw standing behind the 
chair of the fat man with the apple face, refused to give 
his name. 

And then there followed from the Irish spirit a long 
series of commands and requests to the spirit with the 
black gown, that he would tell his name, and if he wasn't 
" ashamed of himself," make known who he was. 

The whole resulted in the announcement by Patrick, 



THE RAPPERS. 119 

that the black gown had finally said that he had been, 
while in the form, (that is, when he lived on earth,) a 
certain clergyman who had been quite famous. But the 
man with the apple-face requiring some test that the 
black gown was the spirit of the clergyman whom he 
professed to be, Patrick said that he (the black gown) 
still kept his head down, and would give no test, and 
the man with the apple-face then said that the black 
gown might go ; for if he was a spirit at all, he was a 
bad and lying spirit. 

This latter remark of the man with the apple-face, led 
to a short argument, or rather interchange of ideas 
between him and the gentleman in gray, on the subject 
of requiring tests from spirits, in order that the inquirer 
might know whether the spirit with whom he was talkmg, 
was or was not the one which that spirit represented 
itself to be. 

The man with the apple-face contended strongly that 
tests in all cases should be required ; " for," said he, 
" even spiritualists say that spirits are continually com- 
ing up, assuming names which do not belong to them, 
and often telling up and down lies. Now, I do not under- 
stand such a course of proceeding on the part of the 
inhabitants of the spirit world. If they are permitted 
to cut such capers, it strikes me that the spirit world is 
a very queer place, and not much better than this 
world, where we expect to hear about one hundred lies 
to one truth. No, sir, if a spirit wishes to communi- 
cate with me, he must identify himself, if he professes to 
be one whom I have known on earth ; and if he is a 



120 THE EAPPERS. 

stranger, he must tell me something that I don't know, 
and not give me a long rigmarole of fine words. If a 
spirit can speak ten or fifteen minutes in a rigmarole of 
fine words about flowers, and the beauty of heaven, and 
the future triumph of spiritualism, that spirit can give 
me some test that it is a spirit. I require a test, sir; I 
would not take for law and gospel, suck in, if I may so 
express myself, all a supposed spirit told me, without it 
agreed with the reason and common sense which God 
Almighty has given me ; or without it made it plain 
that it was not a mortal, but a spirit from the other 
world that spoke. I have seen much of this latter phase 
of drinking in pretty words, and taking them as the 
language of immortals. I have seen circles sit with 
open mouths and ears, listening to a rigmarole of words, 
and exclaiming that it could not come from mortal lips, 
when at the same time I have heard and read language 
twice as beautiful, and ten times as reasonable in senti- 
ment and philosophy, from nothing but mortals. But 
if you were to place this handsome and more reasonable 
language and sentiment of mortals before these blind 
disciples of spiritualism, they would hoot at it. I require 
tests, sir, and tests I must have." 

A spirit now spoke through the Medium, announcing 
himself as William Scott, who professed to have known 
the gentleman of the house where the circle of which we 
were the visitor, was formed. When asked where he 
knew him, he answered that he knew him at the diggings 
in California, at St. Mary's ; that he (William Scott,) 



THE KAPPERS. 121 

died in crossing the Isthmus, and that he belonged to 
Liverpool. 

The gentleman of the house, after some reflection, said 
ihat he thought he recollected Scott in California ; but 
the spirit of William Scott departed without making any 
further communication. 

The spirit of Scott having taken his leave, the girl 
Medium was for some moments in a state of quies- 
cence. 

Soon, however, her hand began to slap on the table 
violently, and her frame to be violently contorted. Then 
she sobbed and groaned, and appeared altogether in 
great distress. 

The general opinion around the table, among the 
spiritualists, was that she was possessed by an unde- 
veloped spirit, and some one suggested that a few passa- 
ges out of the Bible should be read. 

The man with the apple face complied with this sug- 
gestion, and having opened at random to the part of the 
New Testament which speaks of the raising of Lazarus 
from the grave, read a few verses relative to that sub- 
ject. 

The Medium gradually became more quiet, and at 
length broke out into a sort of prayer, the purport of 
which was, that God would banish the evil influence then 
around the circle. The prayer was long and earnest, 
and while the Mediuiji gave utterance to it, the tears 
rolled down her cheeks like rain. 

" Who is this spirit 1" was the question asked by some 
one of the circle. 

6 



122 THE RAPPEES. 

"Shadrach Smith," was the answer; "and I have 
never communicated with mortals before." 

" Who is Shadrach Smith f was the question asked 
by the man with the apple face. 

" He is the father of the Medium," said the gentleman 
of the house. 

The girl Medium now suddenly jumped from the table, 
ran to the corner of the room, and shading her face with 
her hands, exclaimed : 

" What a funny place I see ! it can't be that any one 
lives here ; what a funny little place — oh ! oh !" 

Then suddenly she became violently agitated, and 
casting up her hands, as if to express her horror, she 
screamed in a voice which affected the whole circle : 

" Oh, dear ! oh, dear ! it is the place where the bad 
spirits live. I am right among them ; oh, dear ! oh ! 
oh ! oh !" and the Medium shrank into the corner of the 
room, making violent motions with her hand, as if she 
would repel the advance of something horrible to look 
at. Then she continued : 

" Oh ! oh ! oh ! I never knew a thing that had but one 
head ; it has seven heads ; it will bite me ; it will stick 
its great horns in me ! Oh, what horns ! Why did 
they send me here in this awful place 1 What have I 
done that I should be sent here 1" 

And again the girl Medium shrieked and screamed, 
and continued so to do, until suddenly she came out of 
her trance, and then with tears and sobs, she threw her- 
self into the arms of some one of her female friends, 
exclaiming — 



THE RAPPERS. 123 

" Oh ! it is horrible ; I will never have anything more 
to do with spirits." 

*' What is the meaning of all this?" asked the man 
with the apple face. 

" The spirit of Isaiah has often been up here," said the 
gentleman of the house, " and has promised to show 
this Medium awful sights if she did not believe. I pre- 
sume he has now shown her some of the mysteries of 
the lower spheres into which those who have been bad 
on earth at first pass — the region, as we say, of unde- 
veloped spirits." 

The man with the apple face made no answer, but 
soon left, and we went with him. 

This is a faithful record of what we witnessed at the 
above private circle. 



124 THE KAPPERS. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE DREAM SPIRIT. 

The following occurred at a strictly private circle, 
consisting of four persons, who were all Mediums, and 
whom we shall designate as Mediums Numbers 1, 2, 3 
and 4. 

As soon as the foijr Mediums had taken their places, 
the question was asked by each one in succession, " Is 
there a spirit here who wishes to communicate with me ?" 
The table tipped an affirmative answer to Medium No. 2. 

It was then requested ihat the spirit would give its 
name, and, in order to avoid the trouble of the alphabet, 
several names were written upon slips of paper and put 
on the table. The papers were picked up consecutively 
by Noo 2, but no response was rendered. A discussion 
then arose as to what it could mean, the spirit having 
said it would point out its name. 

" Is the name amongst those written 1" 

"Yes." 

It was then suggested that perhaps the spirit was de- 
sirous that some one else, and not No. 2, should pick out 
the papers with the names written on them. This sug- 
gestion was adopted : No. 1 shut his eyes, and took up 



THE RAPPEKS. 125 

the papers singly, until the table tipped thrice, (yes,) 
meaning that the paper which No. 1 at that monient 
held in his hand was the right one. 

The paper was then opened, and the name " George" 
was found to be the one written within. 

" It is your cousin," said Medium No. 1, addressing 
Medium No. 2. 

Medium No. 2 answered, " It cannot be my cousin 
George, for he is alive." 

Medium No. 1, addressing the supposed spirit: "Is 
the name and relationship correct ? Are you, as No. 2 
has said, still alive 1" 

The table, in answer, tipped three times, meaning- 
"Yes." 

No. 2 shook his head in doubt ; the alleged fact that 
the spirit of his live cousin was there and wished to com- 
municate with him, was rather a puzzler even for so firm 
a believer as he was. 

" Perhaps," said Medium No. 1, addressing Medium 
No. 2, " perhaps the spirit of your cousin has left the 
form (body) and came here to visit you while his form 
or body is asleep.^' 

The question as to the correctness of this supposition 
on the part of Medium No. 1 was then put to the table, 
and the answer, returned by taps, was that the suppo- ' 
sition was correct. 

'• Are you in the spirit world ?" 

The table tipped twice, by which it was understood 
that the spirit intended to answer " partially." 



126 THE RAPPERS. 

No. 1. — " Do you mean to say that you are of the 
spirit world while absent from the body ?" 

" Yes." 

No. 1.—" You are not dead ?" 

" No." 

No. 2.—" You are in a dream f 

" As you would say in a dream." 

This latter answer was written through the hand of 
one of the Mediums present. 

"You mean," said Medium No. 1, "that we call it a 
dream, but that you are positively present 1'' 

" Yes." 
. " Well, I don't understand this," said No. 2 ; " I never 
heard of such a circumstance before. How can the spi- 
rit be here and the body still alive ^" 

"Is there any mistake?" said Medium No. 1, ad- 
dressing the spirit. 

" No." 

No. 1. — "You are deceiving us?" 

" No." 

" Let us test it," said the Medium No. 4. 

This suggestion was adopted. The names of several 
places were then written, and when London, which was 
among them, was pointed out by one of the Mediums, 
the spirit indicated that that was the correct place. 

The occupation of the spirit was then asked, but in 
this the answer was not correct, as it had been in the 
case of residence. 

On inquiring the reason, the following answer was 
written through the hand of Medium No, 1 : 



THE EAPPERS. 127 

*' Is it for want of harmony, and because of the doubt 
existing, which makes the power to communicate diffi- 
cult." 

No. 2 — " I admit I was not in harmony ; the appear- 
ance of the spirit of a living friend is so extraordinary 
that I feel quite at fault with it." 

"Will you write through one of us the reason why 
you come here f 

« Yes." 

The following communication from the spirit was then 
written through the hand of Medium No. 1 : 

" Do you not know that the spirit is the same, whether 
in the form or out of the form ? Do you wonder that the 
spirit should be governed by its affinity — that it should 
seek if? You know how I loved you even in the plea- 
sant days of childhood ; and now in our prime I have 
desired, you know little how I have desired to be with 
you before ; and now only has it been permitted me to 
accomplish that which has been for some time my earn- 
est wish. I am with you, and you " 

Here the medium's arms became so heavy that he was 
alarmed, and he endeavored to lift his arm with the other 
hand, his countenance at the same time exhibiting an ex- 
pression of pain. Medium No. 2 not observing the 
pain, but seeing the awkward effort of No. 1 to lift his 
arm began to laugh, when No. 1 implored him for God's 
sake not to do so. At this moment the pressure of hea- 
viness on the arm of No. 1 ceased, and with it his wri 
ting. The sentence of the spirit communication was 



128 THE KAPPEE8. 

finished by impression (as the spiritualists say) as fol- 
lows : 

" And you will not receive me, but doubt my pre- 
sence." 

No. 4 again suggested the test as to the name. This 
was acceded to, and No. 1, with closed eyes, picked out 
the same name several times in succession. A conver- 
sation then ensued as to the shigularity of the circum- 
stance, when it was proposed that the same test should 
again be tried. It was then observed that one of the 
papers were missing ; the question was proposed whether 
the name was amongst those remaining. 

" No." 

The papers were then all opened, and the name George 
was not found among them. 

Search was then made and at last the missing paper 
was found in the hat of No. 2. 

"Is this the name?" said Medium No. 2, holding up 
the missing paper. 

"Yes." 

" Will you communicate to me the impression you 
have received to-night ?" 

" Perhaps." This answer was given by two tips of 
the table. 

" Will you be impressed to convey to me when you 
write such intelligence as shall make me know that it is 
really you who are present 1" 

" Yes, if possible." 

Medium No. 1 then spoke to a spirit who had been 



THE KAPPERS. 129 

communicating with him, and asked if she saw the spirit 
of George. 

"Yes.»' 

" Will you impress him to remember that which he 
has seen to-night, when he awakes out of his dreams ?" 

" Yes." 

" How ? Will it be in the nature of a dream ?" 

"Yes." 

Medium No. 2.— "Shall we hear from him (George) 
to this effect r 

" Yes." 

" You are not deceiving me ?" 

" No." 

" If you are truthful, you will touch me." 

And Medium No. 1 was touched immediately on both 
hands, at least so he said, and the touch continued while 
the following questions were propounded : 

" You are touching me ?" 

"Yes." 

" You know where f 

" Yes." 

" Will you answer where ?" 

"Yes." 

" On my head !" " 

" No." 

" Mouth 1" 

" No." 

" On my face ?" 

"No." 

" On my hands ?" 

6* 



130 THE EAPPEKS. 

'*Yes.'» 

"The answer," said Medium No. 1, "is correct, the 
sensation I experienced was as though some person had 
lightly spread a hand over both of my hands." 

The circle now broke up, and the several members 
remarked that they should look for a letter from 
" George" in London, confirming the fact, as they think, 
that while his body was asleep in London, his spirit was 
here in New-York with his cousin and the circle above 
referred to. 



THE RAPPEES. 131 



CHAPTER XII. 

SPIRITUAL HUSBANDS. 

We were present one evening at a private spiritual 
circle composed of some ten persons. The manifesta- 
tions (as they are called) which took place, were among 
the most curious that we have collected for our spiritual 
budget. 

When the circle had been formed, and we had time 
to take a glance at those who surrounded us, two per- 
sons of the number particularly attracted our attention. 
The one was a young man slight in person, with large 
dreamy eyes which he kept devoutly fixed with an 
abstracted gaze on the table before him, as if he 
expected every moment a spirit would start out from it 
to greet his sight — he was evidently the firmest kind of 
a believer. The other was a short, stout man, of mid- 
dle age, with a keen eye, and a face on which " don't 
believe it" was written as plain as if the letters had 
been stamped in the flesh. 

All those around the table, as usual in such cases, 
asked in succession if there were any spirits there who 
wished to communicate with them ; but the table gave 
no response, until the man with the large dreamy eyes, 



132 THE EAPPERS. 

in a low, reverential voice, inquired whether the spirit 
of any one of his friends was present. 

The table in answer, immediately gave the three usual 
tips to express an affirm.ative. 

" Do you desire to talk with me V 

" Yes." 

" Can you tell me your name 1" 

"Yes;" and the alphabet having been called by suc- 
cessive tips of the table, the letters " K. A. T. E." were 
those designated by tips of the table, when the man with 
the dreamy eyes pointed his finger through the alphabet, 
as the letters which formed the Christian name of the 
spirit. 

" Will you tell me, if I point on the alphabet, the 
initial of your surname V^ 

" Yes." 

The gentleman with the dreamy eyes again pointed 
to the different letters of the alphabet, until he came to 
K, when the table tipped, meaning thereby to say that 
K. was the initial of the spirit's surname. 

" When in the form, were you married, as we would 
say?" 

" Yes." 

" How many times ?" 

" Twice." 

"Well, what was your husband's name?" 

A certain Christian name was then spelied out by the 
alphabet, which Christian name the spirit professed was 
that of the first husband. 

The man with the dreamy eyes opened his organs of 



THE RAPPEES. 133 

vision a slight degree wider, and said that, as he did not 
know the Christian name of the spirit's first husband, he 
could not, of course, tell whether or not it was correct. 
But he knew the surname, and would therefore ask the 
spirit the initial of that. He accordingly put the ques- 
tion, and the initial was given by the spirit through the 
alphabet. 

The man with the dreamy eyes now asked the name 
of the spirit's second husband, which was spelled out by 
alphabet, and the man with the dreamy eyes said the 
answers were correct. The circle being a private one, 
it is not proper for us to give the names as we heard 
them. 

The man with the dreamy eyes now asked, we thought 
with a slight anxiety of face : 

" Is either one of these persons who were your hus- 
bands on earth, according to the marriage rites of this 
world, your spiritual husband according to the laws or 
customs of the spirit world f 

"No." 

" Have you a spiritual husband, and do you often go 
to him in order to be present with and around him "?" 

" Yes." 

" Does the relation of husband and wife exist in the 
spirit world ?" 

"Yes." 

« How— through affinity 1" 

"Yes." 

" It does not then follow that they who are married 



134r THE RAPPERS. 

in the flesh, or in this world, are also married spiritu- 
ally ?" 
"No.". 

" Is your spiritual husband with you in the spirit 
world ?" 
"No." 

" Do you know the name of your spiritual husband? 
if so, tell its name." 

The initials of the man with the dreamy eyes was 
then given by the supposed spirit, by means of the 
alphabet. 

A sublime smile irradiated for a moment the counte- 
nance of the man with the dreamy eyes, as if he had 
been for some time longing to be the spiritual husband 
of the spirit now present, and as if he was now sublimely 
content with the announcement that he was indeed what 
he wished to be. 

" Did you," said he, " write the piece of poetry to me 
commencing thus: 

" I knew thee on earth ; I loved thee then, 

But now more dear to me : 
Death can not sever the bond of love — 

It cannot through eternity. 
Hasten ! oh, haste ! for I would have 

Thy spirit freed from clay : 
Hasten ! oh, haste ! T yearn for thee 
In everlasting day." 

The table tipped emphatically, as much as to say that 
the spirit had most certainly written the above piece of 
poetry to the man with the dreamy eyes. We did not 
learn how the spirit wrote the said piece of poetry to 



THE KAPPEES. 135 

the man with the dreamy eyes ; but we presume it was 
either by way of impression, as the spiritualists say, or 
through the hand of some writing Medium. It matters 
not, however, which it was, so long as the man with 
the dreamy eyes believed it to be a simon pure article, 
and that he did so believe it, was evident from the pro- 
found air of reverence with which he received the com- 
munication of the spirit to that effect. But although 
satisfied that the consolatory stanzas came direct from 
the spirit, the man with the dreamy eyes seemed to 
wish for some additional information ; for he asked : 

"Is this piece of poetry which you sent me, truth 1" 

"Yes." 

" Do you ever deceive me '?" 

" No." 

The man with the dreamy eyes seemed now to be 
perfectly satisfied as far as it regarded both the poetry, 
the truth of it, and all else that related to his being the 
spiritual husband of the spirit. 

As for ourself, we listened very attentively to the 
whole colloquy on the spiritual husband mystery, and 
we could not help drawing a comparison between the 
male Mormons of this world and the female spirits of 
the spirit land. We may have been irreverent ; but 
we could not help it. Utah in this world, with one man 
surrounded with a bevy of wives, and the spiritual land 
with one woman in the middle of a bevy of husbands, 
seemed to rise before us, and we had mixed them up in 
strange confusion, when we were roused from our revery 



136 THE KAPPEES. 

by the voice of the man with the dreamy eyes, who 
asked the spirit the question : 

" Have you seen God ?" 

" No." 

" What sphere are you in *?" 

" The seventh." 

*' You mean that you have not seen God personally ?" 

" Yes." . 

" But you have witnessed God's doings, have you 
not?" 

"Yes." 

" Have you seen Christ ?" 

« Yes." 

" Was the spirit of Christ the spirit of God 1" 

"Yes." 

"Is the spirit of Christ the same as man's spirit?" 

The table tipped twice, by which the spirit meant to 
answer " partially." 

" Do you mean that man's spirit is an emanation 
from God ?" 

"Yes." 

" Were Christ's teachings truth ?" 

"Yes." 

" Do you mean as man translates them to the 
letter f ' 

" No." 

" In the spirit ?" 

" Yes." 

The spirit who had chosen the man with the dreamy 
eyes for her spiritual husband, now bid " good night" 



THE RAPPERS. 137 

to the circle, 'by means of the alphabet, and the man 
with the dreamy eyes could get no further communica- 
tion from her. He seemed, however, to be in a state of 
ecstatic content with what he had received. 

The little man with the keen eye, and whose face 
betokened that he was a skeptic in Spiritual Rappings, 
now said : 

" I should like to see this table tipped up instead of 
down, as it has been all the evening." 

No sooner said than done ; for the table immediately 
tipped up instead of down. 

The little man then said that he wished the table 
would tip on each of its sides successively. 

The table comjDlied with the little man's request, and 
tipped up on each of its sides in succession, and the 
little man leaned back in his chair, as if he were in some 
slight degree in a mist of wonder. 



138 THE RAPPERS. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE CIRCLE IN THE PARLOR THE CIRCLE IN THE ATTIC. 

Having been informed that Miss K.' F., a celebrated 
public rapping Medium, was in the city, and ready to 
receive visits from those desiring to investigate the sub- 
ject of Spiritual Rappings, we of course made it a point 
to call upon her. 

The room in which Miss K. F. received us, was a good 
sized parlor, splendidly furnished, with figured silk cur- 
tains, carved rosewood arm-chairs, rich carpet, and a 
large highly polished and square mahogany table in the 
centre. 

At the head of the table sat the Medium, Miss F. 
herself, and the seats at the table were occupied by 
some fifteen ladies and gentlemen, all evidently, from 
their dress and manners, belonging to the upper and 
wealthy ranks of society. 

Miss F. seems very young, and her claim to beauty 
cannot be disputed. Her hair, which is black as the 
wing of a raven, was parted in two simple curls, 
after the Madona style, giving striking effect to a fair 
forehead of an intellectual character, although not very 
high or expansive. Her eyes, like her hair, are of the 



THE RAPPERS. 139 

deepest black, shaded by long eyelashes, and although 
possessing no small share of brilliancy, give out a rather 
pensive expression than otherwise. The rest of her 
features are regular and well chiselled, and a healthy 
bloom is on her cheeks. Her manner is very modest, 
almost approaching to diffidence. She was dressed 
plainly in black silk, and the only ornament that we 
noticed was a golden cross, suspended from her neck. 

On one of the large, well cushioned rosewood chairs, 
a little removed from the table, sat the mother of Miss 
F., who is a woman somewhat advanced in years, pos- 
sessing a pleasant face, and interested us by the sincerity 
of her manner, and the deep affection which she mani 
fested towards her daughter. 

When we entered, a gentleman at the corner of the 
table, immediately next to Miss F., was in communica- 
tion with a spirit (so called.) He held in one hand a 
pencil, and in the other a slip of paper, on which he was 
marking various names, and asking the spirit to pick out 
the right one. The supposed spirit did not appear very- 
accommodating, for w^hen three raps came on the table, 
meaning " yes," the gentleman said it was not correct, 
and when one rap came meaning " no," the gentleman 
said that it was as far from the truth as the other. Fi 
nally he leaned back in his chair, and seemed to give up 
in despair all idea of getting any satisfactory answer. 

" You must not be discouraged, sir," said Mrs. F. from 
her easy chair, " the spirits, at the start, often get 
wrong ; and when they commence wrong, I have always 



140 THE RAPPERS. 

noticed they continue so during the whole communica- 
tion." 

" Well, Madam," answered the gentleman, "it seems 
to me, such being the case, you cannot believe in 
spirits." 

" Believe in them, sir'? I believe that these manifes- 
tations come from spirits, as firmly as I believe my own 
existence; I have had every evidence that a mortal 
could have that they do come from spirits; if I did not 
believe so, I could not face the public as I do now with 
my daughter ; it is the truth which enables both her and 
me to sit in public, where we are thrown in contact with 
all kinds of minds, and where, sometimes, our position 
is far from a pleasant one." 

We, ourself, inquired of Mrs. F., if she had ever seen 
any spirits. 

" No," was her answer, " but I have had as strong a 
proof as if I had seen him, that the spirit of my grand- 
father has been near me, and in the same room. One 
evening, when I had retired to bed, and while the candle 
was on the bureau, I heard raps on my headboard, and 
I asked if it was the spirit of my grandfather. Being 
answered in the affirmative, I asked him to take the 
candle out of the candlestick and put it down on the bu- 
reau : it was done, although I did not see the agency by 
which it was accomplished. I then asked him to rap 
with his finger-nails on the bureau, which he did so 
plainly and distinctly that I could count every nail." 

" Do you or your daughter often have such physical 
manifestations as these ?" 



TBDE RAPPEES. 141 

" No, not now, we used to have, but the manifesta- 
tions have latterly much changed in their character. 
We have now, as a general thing, only raps." 

Another gentleman now took the alphabet card in his 
hand, and asked if the spirit who professed to be ready 
to communicate with him would spell out the name he 
wished. The table rapped yes. and the gentleman 
pointed over the card with his pencil until the table had 
wrapped to a number of letters, which the gentleman 
said formed the correct name of which he was thinking. 

This process of spelling out names by the alphabet 
formed the main part of the manifestations of the even- 
ing. Some of the inquirers said that the names they 
sought had been designated correctly by the raps, and 
others said that their answers were altogether incorrect. 
The correct and incorrect were about equally divided. 

Last of all, we took our seat at the table, and asked 
that our name should be spelt out. The supposed spirit 
treated us very badly, mixing up its raps in strange con- 
fusion and giving us only a few letters correctly. We 
took occasion to rebuke slightly the spirit, and to request 
it if it could not tell the truth, not to say anything, and 
our communication ceased. 

After this. Miss F. proceeded to show that the spirits 
at her call would rap in any part of the room. They 
did so rap on the floor, on each of the doors, and if we 
-recollect right, one or two of the chairs. 

Passing up Broadway a few evenings after our visit 
to the parlor circle of Miss F., we were attracted by a 
Drilliant transparency, jutting on the sidewalk not far 



14:2 THE KAPPERS. 

from the Broadway theatre. At first sight, we thought 
it was simply a gas announcement that oysters were 
behind or under the light, or that some new Barnum 
had entered the field of extraordinary curiosities, either 
in the animal, vegetable or human line, and we were 
about to pass on without particular investigation, when 
the words " Spiritual Manifestations," in very lengthy 
black letters, caught our eye, and we of course stopped. 
Our stoppage was a moment afterwards followed by our 
ascent up several long flights of steps until we thought 
we must be near the top of the building. We found at 
the door, which announced that we had come to the end 
of our journey, a little man with Judge Edmonds' work 
on spiritualism before him, and a box of small change 
beside him, which seemed as if it was gaping for more. 
We contributed twenty-five cents towards its further 
bulk, and entered. 

We found ourself in a very small room, looking very 
much like an attic apartment, plainly furnished, with a 
black walnut table in the center, at which was seated a 
young girl. The sides of the room, in the rear of the 
table, were lined with females, while two or three gen- 
tlemen occupied as many chairs in front. The girl 
Medium was plain in appearance, but had a pleasant 
smile on her countenance, as if she felt very happy 
to aid all investigators into spiritual rapping myste- 
ries. 

A very bulky man, with light complexion and hair, 
and a very positive manner about him, took his seat at 
the table and asked for a spirit. 



THE EAPPEKS. 143 

The table immediately slammed up and dovrn. as if 
the spirit meant to say, that it was not only there, but 
determined to be heard. 

The bulky man then inquired who it was, calling over 
at the same time various degrees of relationship, in none 
of which he found the spirit claimed to be. The spirit 
at length announced himself by violent tips of the table, 
as seemingly a friend, and the tips also designated the 
right name among a number of others which the bulky 
gentleman wrote down on a slip of paper. The bulky 
gentleman also found out in the same manner when his 
friend had died. 

"Now, then," said the bulky gentleman, "if you are 
the spirit of my friend, you can give me a test ; give 
me the telegraphic signal, by writing through the 
medium." 

But the telegraph wires, this time refused to work ; 
all communication was suddenly cut off, and the bulky 
gentleman was nonplused. 

By this question of the bulky gentleman, we pre- 
sumed that he either was or had been an operator in a 
telegraph office, and that his friend had been the same. 
The signal would have been an excellent test for the 
spirit friend to give ; but it was not given. 

Several other persons asked questions, and although 
the table in the attic tipped with extraordinary vigor, 
nothing satisfactory was obtained by the questioners. 

A gentleman present, noticing that the table always 
tipped one way, (towards the Medium,) asked it to tip 



144 THE EAPPERS. 

in an opposite direction. It slammed, in answer, every- 
way. 

This was all that occurred during our visit to the cir- 
cle in the attic. 



THE BAPPERS. 146 



CHAPTER XIV. 

FAMILY RAPS. 

On a very cold evening, when we were somewhat 
fearful that the keenness of the air might freeze the 
spirits, we again visited the rooms of Mrs. B. The 
table was fully surrounded. Two members of the circle 
particularly attracted our attention. One was a round 
little man, with thin black hair, black mustaches and 
whiskers. The other was an elderly gentleman, with 
hair white as the snow, and a serious, reverent air, which 
told that he was an old and firm believer in spiritualism. 
The round little man was evidently a novice in spiritu- 
alism, and neither believed nor disbelieved what he 
knew nothing about. 

" What shall I do — how shall I begin ?" said the round 
little man, turning a slip of paper in one hand and a pen- 
cil in the other. 

" Ask if there is a spirit here who wishes to commu- 
nicate with you," said Mrs. B. very pleasantly, and 
endeavoring all she could to help him along. 

The question was asked by the round little man, and 
three very loud raps on the table informed him that one 
from the spirit world, or at least the raps, were ready 

to talk to him. 

.7 



14.6 - THE RAFPEKS. 

"Now write down several names and point to them, 
and the spirit will probably rap at the right one," said 
Mrs. B. 

The round little man complied, and iinaily found out 
that the spirit professed to be that of his father. 

He asked several questions of his father as to what 
was his (the gentleman's) name, and also what business 
he followed. The name was not indicated aright by the 
raps, while as to his (the gentleman's) business or pro- 
fession, the raps informed him that he was a broker. 
This the round little man said was no such thing, and 
rather repudiated all connection with brokers. 

The next gentleman who questioned the supposed 
spirits, was a middle-aged person, with something of the 
air of an old bachelor about him. He desired some 
information respecting a lady recently married ; but the 
information was not forthcoming — the spirits on that 
head were not communicative. 

The next questioner received the following communi- 
cation, spelt out by the alphabet, which was called by 
Mrs. B. 

" I have visited you in circles, but have found it dif- 
ficult to converse with you. I want to make my influ- 
ence felt when you are engaged in important matters. 
The time is coming when you will confront the deriding 
coward — for skeptic he is not — with unflinching bold- 
ness, when the enraged bigots will brow-beat you for 
investigating a subject which so much conflicts with their 
prejudices.'* 

The receiver of the above communication desired the 



THE RAPPEES. 147 

spirit who professed to send it, to spell out its name; 
but the spirit, or rather the raps, refused to do so, and 
the questioner, with the air of one who did not exactly 
know how the communication applied to him, said he 
had finished his inquiries. 

The elderly man, with the snow white hair and reve- 
rent demeanor, now said : 

" Daughter, father, grandfather, and sister, if you are 
all here, I wish you would unite in a communication to 
me ; will you do so ?" 

A jumble of raps, all of different degrees of force, but 
given at the same time, was the answer which the elderly 
gentleman received. Then three single raps w^ere given, 
and afterwards the following communication to the 
elderly gentleman, was spelt out by alphabet : 

" Dear Father — I come first. Grandmother says the 
least shall be the greatest." 

The name to this communication was also spelt out ; 
but it is not appropriate that we should publish it. 

This communication was no sooner finished, than the 
alphabet was again called for, and the elderly gentle- 
man received another communication, as follows : 

"Dear Brother — E. has delivered her message; tell 
H. her sister is progressing very fast, and she must try 
to keep pace with her, so that she can be able to enter 
her class in heaven." 

This also was signed by the correct name. 

This also was followed by another communication, as 
follows : 

" Dear Grandson — I delight to linger near you, and 



148 THE RAPPERS. 

listen to your conversation. You are advancing 
rapidly to this knowledge, which will serve you in 
after life, and fit you for an elevated sphere in 
heaven," 

This also was signed by a name, and was followed by 
the following : 

" Dear Son — I love you and yours, and we shall all 
meet and know each other in heaven. Amen." 

To the latter part of this communication, the same 
jumble of raps responded as they did to the first ques- 
tion of the elderly gentleman. 

The elderly gentleman now seemed supremely happy 
that he had thus had an united communication from the 
spirits of his family in the spirit land. He asked no 
more questions, but remarked that during all the time 
the communications had been coming, he felt himself 
touched by the spirits who gave them. 

Many other questions were asked by other members 
of the circle, but nothing was elicited, and when the 
raps on the table spelt out " done," we concluded that 
the spirits had departed, and we might as well leave 
also. 



THE RAPPERS. 149 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE LriNG SPIRIT. 

We attended, one evening, a circle at a private dwell 
ing, where the following so called manifestations took 
place. When the circle had been formed around the 
table, we noticed among the company the same gentle- 
man who related to us the story of his having seen the 
spirit of Oliver Blodge, the murderer. We have given 
the story, as told by this gentleman, in a former chap- 
ter of this work. The gentleman referred to, and who 
is also a medium, had no sooner settled himself in his 
seat, than he said : 

'* Is there any spirit here who wishes to communicate 
with me ?" 

"Yes." 

" Will you touch me ?" 

"Yes." 

" Then do it." 

The medium immediately shrunk back for an instant, 
as if he had experienced some unpleasant sensation. 
He then stretched his hand to the company and said : 

" I was touched here on my hand, and it felt very hot, 
as if a burning substance had been applied to it. See 
here." 



150 THE EAPPERS. 

And as the medium spoke, he pointed to a red spot 
of considerable size, which was plainly visible on the 
back of his hand. 

The medium then addressing himself to the supposed 
spirit, continued his questions : 

" What sphere are you in ?" 

"Third." 

" Are you sure '?" 

"Yes." 

"Will you spell out your name ?" 

" No." 

(The above answers, together with all those recorded 
in this report, were given by tips of the table.) 

After a few^ other questions, while the table or the 
supposed spirit did not answer wnth much willingness, 
the medium said to the supposed spirit : 

" Can you read my mind ?" 

" Yes." 

"Will you read it?" 

"Yes." 

The medium here paused a moment, as if he was sub- 
mitting his thoughts to the examination of the supposed 
spirit. The medium then continued addressing the sup- 
posed spirit, as follows *. 

" Now you read my mind thoroughly, do you ?" 

"Yes." 

"Then, by what you saw, in my mind, I charge you 
to speak the truth, and answer my questions. Will you 
answer truthfully ?" 

"Yes." 



THE RAPPERS. 151 

" Is it owing to the power of what you saw in my 
mind, that you will answer truthfully '?" 

" Yes." 

" You dare not disobey me, dare you ?" 

" No." 

" Was not your touch, on my had just now, hot ?" 

" Yes." 

" Did you burn me f 

" Perhaps." 

" You see this mark on my hand ; did you make if?" 

" Yes." 

" Now what sphere are you in ?" 

" The first." 

" Can I do anything for you to ameliorate your con- 
dition?" 

The Medium asked this last question because the first 
sphere is supposed by spiritualists to be the lowest 
sphere, in fact, in which undeveloped spirits dwell. 

"Can I do anything to ameliorate your condition'?" 

"Yes." 

" What can I do for you ; pray for you ?" 

"Yes." 

" Will that help you V 

"Yes." 

"Now spell out your name." 

The Medium here took out the alphabet card, and the 
table tipped when he pointed to the letters, which, when 
put together, spelt the name of " Oliver Blodge." 

"Did 1 not charge you," said the Medium, " never to 
come near me again." 



162 THE RAPPERS. 

"Yes." 

" Why have you come then 1 Was you sent for ?" 

"Yes." 

" For what — to make physical manifestations 1" 

"Yes." 

" Did you ever appear before in any circle and say 
you were the spirit of Shakspeare 2" 

"Yes." 

"Are you Shakspeare?" 

" No." 

" Do you wear a crown of gold on your head and, 
dress in a purple robe ?" 

" No." 

" Did you ever appear to Miss wearing such 

a crown and dress ?" 

"No." 

" How was it then — was it only a spectral illusion 
before her eyes ?" 

" Yes." 

" Was that illusion formed by you for the purpose of 
deceiving Miss ?" 

" Yes." 

" For what purpose — in order that your presence 
might be permitted ?" 

"Yes." 

We have before described the appearance of Oliver 
Blodge, to the vision of Miss , in one of our for- 
mer reports. 

A thin, wiry person, whose expression of face was of 
that hard and impenetrable nature, which betokened 
that he was not likely to believe anything he could not 



THE EAPPEIIS.^ 163 

see or feel, here remarked that he should be pleased to 
see the table tip from the medium. 

In a moment the table was raised up instead of being 
depressed. 

" Tip the table quickly," said the Medium. 

The table was immediately raised by some unseen 
power, rapped down on the floor, and rocked to and fro 
with great velocity. 

The thin, wiry man opened his eyes and gazed at the 
antics of the table with astonishment. 

" Well," he at length said, when he had recovered his 
somewhat suspended breath, " this is most extraordi- 
nary. I've often tried to get such manifestations before. 
I have been to a great many circles, but I have always 
until now failed." 

" It has doubtless been owing to the want of harmony 
in the circles which you visited that has caused your 
failure," remarked the Medium. 

The thin wiry man now again said : — 

" I should like to see the table rear up on the oppo- 
site side, where no person is seated." 

After some apparent effort the table suddenly and 
with violence raised up on the side indicated by the thin 
wiry man, and in its raising up nearly knocked the thin 
wiry man over. The table then for a moment balanced 
itself on one leg, and then resumed its natural position. 

The thin wiry man then asked some test questions, as 
they are called, such as his father's and his child's name, 
all of which were spelt out correctly, as he said, by the 
alphabet. The thin wiry man then left, and we soon 
followed him. 



154 THE KAPPER8. 



CHAPTER XVI. _ 

THE SPIRIT OF FUDGE. 

A FEW evenings after the manifestation of the " Lying 
Spirit," an account of which we have given in the pre- 
ceding chapter, we were present at another private circle 
where the table was surrounded by some six or eight 
persons. There were several mediums present, all of 
whom were men. 

The circle had no sooner been formed, than the tips 
of the table announced that some spirit was present, 
who wished to communicate with somebody. 

"Who is the spirit ?" said Medium No. 1. "Is it 
this ?" and the Medium, as he spoke, wrote a name on a 
slip of paper. 

There was no answer to this, except that Medium 
No. 1 had no sooner asked the question than he made 
in his throat a singular sort of a chuckle, as if he was 
endeavoring to suppress laughter. The company looked 
astonished, but the Medium continued to chuckle, and 
the company, who were mostly Spiritualists, came to 
the conclusion that the spirit which had manifested it- 
self, whoever it was, was chuckling for some particular 
reason through the throat of the Medium, and that the 
Medium could not help chuckling. 



THE KAPPER8. 165 

" Wei], chuckling spirit ! since we cannot find out 
your name, please tell us what sphere you are in," said 
one of the company. 

"First," answered Medium No. 1, whom it was sup- 
posed the chuckling spirit now possessed ; and, when he 
had made this brief answer, he commenced to chuckle 
again. 

Another Medium present, whom we shall designate 
as Medium No. 2, here gave evidence, by those violent 
spasms of the hand, which we have often described in 
these reports, that the spirit was about to move him to 
write. The spasmodic influence finally resulted in a 
dash at a piece of paper, and on the piece of paper 
Medium No. 2 wrote a name. 

" Is that your name f said he, holding up the paper 
and addressing himself to the chuckling spirit which 
was supposed to hold its influence over Medium No. 1. 

The chuckle of Medium No. 1 broke short off*, and 
from the mouth of the said Medium there came an em- 
phatic " Yes," And the chuckle went on again. 

The name which Medium No. 2 wrote on his paper, 
and which the chuckling spirit in Medium No. 1 an- 
swered was his name, was "Fudge." 

A conversation now followed among the members of 
the circle as to the character and intentions of this 
chuckling spirit who called himself "Fudge." Some 
said that they thought they were being humbugged, and 
others remarked, with some slight manifestation of feel- 
ing, that they did not wish the spirit to make fun of 
them. 



156 THE RAPPEES. 

Medium No. 1 at this moment began to wring his 
hands, twist himself, and make sundry contortions of his 
face, as if he wished to relieve himself of the influence 
of the chuckling spirit called " Fudge." 

" Spirit of Fudge ! will you write, if you have any- 
thing ta say to us ?" said one of the circle, addressing 
Medium No. 1. 

After some hesitation, Medium No. 1 wrote, with 
spasmodic effort, as follows : — 

" As I know, that I can tell you, I can say only what 
I know. It is for you to digest that which is given to 
you. You are not so blind as to believe literally all the 
spirits say. If you do, you have yet to acquire your 
A, B, C. (Signed) Fudge." 

More conversation here ensued around the circle as to 
the nature of the spirit " Fudge," when suddenly Me- 
dium No. 1, through whom the alleged spirit was 
operating, became convulsed, and a loud Ha! ha! ha! 
burst from his lips. 

. " Well, Fudge, what do you mean by ha ! ha ! ha 1" 
asked one of the circle. 

"I am impressed," answered Medium No. 1, or rather 
"Fudge," in Medium No. 1, "to say that you are all 
fools." 

" Is the impression of Medium No. 1 correct ?" asked 
another of the circle, addressing himself to the table. 

The table tipped once, meaning, thereby, " No." 

Another ha ! ha ! ha ! now rung from the lips of Me- 



V THE RAPPERS. 167 

dium No. 1, and soon afterwards he wrote spasmodically 
as follows : — 

" You desired, if I impressed the Medium, when he 
said I had told him you were all fools. His impression 
was correct. I answered just now that it was not cor- 
rect, because you desired it, and it would amuse you. 
You wish for a reason why I consider you fools : ask 
your own hearts. Do you come to learn, or from 
curiosity "? If you come to learn, why is it that you 
seem but to indulge curiosity 1 Know you not that 
they who desire to learn do not dictate, but wait for the 
crumbs of knowledge, even as they fall, and receive 
them with thankfulness 1 

(Signed) Fudge." 

The supposed spirit of Fudge here paused a moment 
from his epistolary labor, as if to take rest ; but soon 
after wrote again through the medium, as follows : 

" When man desires to teach a child, does not the 
teacher lower his mind to the capacity of the child 1 
Then shall it be wondered .that the spirits should take 
the ingredient they find, and mould it by gradual shaping, 
until it is fitted to receive the impression intended to be 
conveyed 1 The mind to be teachable, must be even as 
the mind of a child. If in the strong exercise of its own 
will, how can it be accessible for impression 1 When 
will man learn that imperativeness is not the most 
teachable commodity. Ha ! ha ! ha ! 

(Signed) Fudge." 



158 THE EAPPERS. 

The spirit of " Fudge" now departed. Medium No. 1 
ceased to chuckle, and resumed his natural grave de- 
meanor. 

Another spirit was now called up by one of the circle, 
who asked if the spirit which he was addressing, was 
acquainted with the spirit of "Fudge," and to what 
sphere "Fudge" belonged ? 

The answer given by tips on the table, and by writing 
through one of the mediums, was in substance, that the 
spirit questioned, was not acquainted with the spirit of 
" Fudge," but had seen him ; that " Fudge" did not be- 
long to the first sphere, as he had stated, but that he 
belonged to a very high order of spirits ; that the solu- 
tion as to the answer which " Fudge" had made, that he 
was in the first sphere, was to be found in the peculiar 
phase of the minds of the members of the circle at that 
particular time, and that it was idle for any member of 
the circle to inquire for the sphere of the spirit as for 
authority ; but the proper and true mode, was to judge 
a spirit by its communications; for untruthfulness is 
sometimes as characteristic of spirits as of mortals. 

This was all that occurred at the circle where the 
spirit of " Fudge" manifested itself. 



BOOK II. 



THE EAPPEES 

CONTEMPLATED PLEASANTLY, PHILOSOPHICALLY, AND 
THEOLOGICALLY. 



THE RAPPEBS. 161 



CHAPTER I. 

THE RAPPERS IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. 

We stated in the commencement of our tour among 
the " Rappers," of the extent to which the doctrine of 
the " Rappers" had spread over the country, and the 
immense number of its proselytes. As illustrative of 
this, it will be appropriate here, at the commencement 
of our comments, for us to record, that the " Rappers 
have deemed themselves of sufficient importance to ask 
the attention of the Congress of the United States. On 
the 17th day of April, 1854, the " Rappers" rapped on the 
floor of Congress, in the following manner and to the 
following effect. On the day referred to. General Shields, 
United States Senator from Illinois, in Executive Session 
of the Senate, spoke as follows : 

"I beg leave to present to the Senate a petition, with 
some fifteen thousand names appended to it, upon a 
very singular and novel subject. The petitioners repre- 
sent that certain physical and mental phenomena of 
mysterious import, have become so prevalent in this 
country and Europe, as to engross a large share of pub- 
lic attention. A partial analysis of these phenomena, 
attest the existence, first, of an occult force, which is 



162 THE KAPPERS. 

exhibited in sliding, raising, arresting, holding, suspend- 
ing, and otherwise disturbing ponderable bodies, appa- 
rently in direct opposition to the acknowledged laws of 
matter, and transcending the accredited power of the 
human mind. Secondly, lights of different degrees of 
intensity appear in dark rooms, where chemical action 
or phosphorescent illumination cannot be developed, and 
where there are no means of generating electricity, or of 
producing combustion. Thirdly, a variety of sounds, 
frequent in occurrence, and diversified in character, and 
of singular significance and importance, consisting of 
mysterious rapping, indicating the presence of invisible 
intelligence. Sounds are often heard like those pro- 
duced by the prosecution of mechanical operations, like 
the hoarse murmur of the winds and waves, mingled with 
the harsh creaking noise of the masts and rigging of a 
ship laboring in a sea. Concussions also occur, resem- 
bling distant thunder, producing oscillatory movements 
of surrounding objects, and a tremulous motion of the 
premises upon which these phenomena occur. Harmo- 
nious sounds, as those of human voices, and other sounds 
resembling those of the fife, drum, trumpet, &c., have 
been produced without any visible agency. Fourthly, 
all the functions of the human body and mind are influ- 
enced in what appear to be certain abnormal states 
of the system, by causes not yet adequately understood 
or accounted for. The occult force, or invisible power, 
frequently interrupts the normal operations of the facul- 
ties, suspending sensation and voluntary motion of the 
body to a death-like coldness and rigidity, and diseases 



THE RAPPERS. 163 

hitherto considered incurable, have been entirely eradi- 
cated by this mysterious agency. The petitioners pro- 
ceed to state that two opinions prevail with respect to 
the origin of these phenomena. One ascribes them to 
the power and intelligence of departed spirits operating 
upon the elements which pervade all natural forms. 
The other rejects this conclusion, and contends that all 
these results may be accounted for in a rational and sat- 
isfactory manner. The memorialists, while thus disa- 
greeing as to the cause, concur in opinion as to the occur- 
rence of the alleged phenomena ; and in view of their 
origin, nature and bearing upon the interests of man- 
kind, demand for them a patient, rigid, scientific inves- 
tigation, and request the appointment of a scientific com- 
mission for that purpose. I have now given a faithful 
synopsis of this petition, which, however unprecedented 
in itself, has been prepared with singular ability, pre- 
senting the subject with great delicacy and moderation. 
I make it a rule to present any petition to the Senate, 
which is respectful in its terms ; but having discharged 
this duty, I may be permited to say that the prevalence 
of this delusion at this age of the world, among any con- 
siderable portion of our citizens, must originate in my 
opinion, in a defective system of education, or in a par- 
tial derangement of the mental faculties, produced by a 
diseased condition of the physical organization. I can- 
not, therefore, believe that it prevails to the extent indi- 
cated in this petition. Different ages of the world have 
had their peculiar delusions. Alchemy occupied the 
attention of eminent men for several centuries ; but there 



164: THE RAPPERS. 

was something sublime in alchemy. The philosopher's 
stone, or the transmutation of base metals into gold — 
the elixir vitce or "water of life," which would preserve 
youth and beauty, and prevent old age, decay, and 
death, were blessings which poor humanity ardently de- 
sired, and which alchemy sought to discover by perse- 
verence and piety. Roger Bacon, one of the greatest 
alchemists and greatest men of the thirteenth century, 
while searching for the philosopher's stone, discovered 
the telescope, burning glasses, and gunpowder. The 
prosecution of that delusion led, therefore, to a number 
of useful discoveries. In the sixteenth century flourished 
Cornelius Agrippa, alchemist, astrologer, and magician, 
one of the greatest professors of hermetic philosophy 
that ever lived. He had all the spirits of the air and 
demons of the earth under his command. Paulus Jovi- 
ous says that the devil in the shape of a large black dog, 
attended Agrippa wherever he went. Thomas Nash 
says, at the request of Lord Surrey, Erasmus, and other 
learned men, Agrippa called up from the grave several 
of the great philosophers of antiquity — among others, 
Sully, whom he caused to deliver his celebrated oration 
for Rosoius, to please the Emperor, Charles IV. He 
summoned king David and king Solomon from the 
tomb, and the Emperor conversed with them long upon 
the science of government. This was a glorious exhibi- 
tion of spiritual power, compared with the insignificant 
manifestations of the present day. I will pass over the 
celebrated Paracelsus, for the purpose of making allu 
sion to an Englishman, with whose veracious history 



THE RAPPEES. 165 

every one ought to make himself acquainted. In the 
sixteenth century, Dr. Dee made such progress in the 
talismanic mysteries, that he acquired ample power to 
hold familiar conversation with spirits and angels, and to 
learn from them all the secrets of the universe. On the 
occasion, the angel Uriel gave him a black crystal of a 
convex form, which he had only to gaze upon intently, 
and by a strange effort of the will, he could summon 
any spirit he wished, to reveal to him the secrets of futu- 
rity. Dee, in his veracious diary, says that one day 
while he was setting with Alburtus Laski, a Polish noble- 
man, there seemed to come out of the oratory a spiritual 
creature, like a pretty girl of seven or nine years of age, 
with her hair rolled up before and hanging down behind, 
with a gown of silk, of changeable red and green, and 
with a train. She seemed to play up and down, and to 
go in and out behind the books, and as she seemed to 
get between them, the books displaced themselves and 
made way for her. This I call a spiritual manifestation 
of the most interesting and fascinating kind. Even the 
books felt the fascinating influence of this spiritual crea- 
ture ; for they displaced themselves and made way for 
her. Edward Kelly, an Irishman, who was present, and 
who witnessed this beautiful apparition, verifies the doc- 
ter's statement ; therefore it would be unreasonable to 
doubt a story so well attested — particularly when the 
witness was an Irishman. Dr. D. was the distinguished 
favorite of kings and queens — a proof that spiritual sci- 
ence was in high repute in tho good old age of queen 
Elizabeth. But of all the professors of occult science, 



IG6 THE RAPPEES. 

hermetic philosophy or spiritualism, the Rosicrucians 
were the most exalted and refined. With them the 
possession of the philosopher's stone was to be the 
means of health and happiness — an instrument by which 
man could command the services of superior beings, con- 
trol the elements, defy the abstractions of time and 
space, and acquire the most intimate knowledge of all 
the secrets of the universe. These were objects worth 
struggling for. The refined Rosicrucians were utterly 
disgusted with the coarse, gross, sensual spirits who had 
been in communication with man previous to their day ; 
so they decreed the annihilation of them all, and substi- 
tuted in their stead, a race of mild, beautiful and benefi- 
cent beings. The spirits of the olden time were a malig- 
nant race, and took especial delight in doing mischief; 
but the new generation is mild and benignant. These 
spirits, as this petition attests, indulge in the most inno- 
cent amusements and harmless recreations — such as 
sliding, raising and tipping tables, producing pleasing 
sounds and variegated sights, and sometimes curing dis- 
eases which were previously considered incurable ; and 
for the existence of this simple and benignant race our 
petitioners are indebted to the brethren of the rosy cross. 
Among the modern professors of spiritualism, Cagliostro 
was the most justly celebrated. In Paris his saloons 
were thronged with the rich and the noble. To old 
ladies he sold immortality, and to the young ones he 
sold beauty that would endure for centuries, and his 
charming countess gained immense wealth, by granting 
attendant sylphs to such ladies as were rich enough to 



THE KAPPERS. 167 

pay for their services. The Biographcs des Co7item2)or€s, 
a work which our present mediums ought to consult 
with care, says there was hardly a fine lady in Paris 
who would not sup with the shade of Lucretius in the 
apartments of Cagliostro. There was not a military 
officer who would not discuss the art with Alexander, 
Hannibal or Csssar, or an advocate or counsellor who 
would not argue legal points with the ghost of Cicero. 
These were spiritual manifestations worth paying for, 
and all our degenerate mediums would have to hide 
their demolished heads in the presence of Cagliostro. 
It would be a curious inquiry to follow this occult sci- 
ence through all its phases of mineral magnetism, ani- 
mal mesmerism, &c., until we reach the present, latest 
and slowest phase of all spiritual manifestation ; but I 
have said enough to show the truth of Burk's beautiful 
aphorism, " the credulity of dupes is as inexhaustible as 
the invention of knaves." 

A pleasant debate followed after Senator Shields' 
speech. Mr. Petit proposed to refer the petition of the 
Spiritualists to three thousand clergymen. Mr. Weller 
proposed to refer it to the Committee on Foreign Rela- 
tions, as it might be necessary to inquire whether or not 
when Americans leave this world they lose their citizen- 
ship. Mr. Mason proposed that it should be left to the 
Committee on Military Affairs. Gen. Shields himself 
said he had thought of proposing to refer the petition to 
the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, because 
there may be a possibility of establishing a spiritual 
telegraph between the material and spiritual worlds. 



168 THE RAPPERS. 

The petition was finally, by a decisive vote, laid upon 
the table. The table did not, as we learn, tip in indig- 
nation at this summary disposal of Spiritualism in the 
Senate, by which we must infer that the spirits, if there 
were any in the Senate at that time, endorsed its action 
and considered the same all right. 



THE RAPPEES. 160 



CHAPTER II. 

PHILOSOPHICAL RAP PRELIMINARY. 

In this chapter, we shall let an English author, J. G. 
Mac Walter, rap a few paragraphs for us, simply because 
they are appropriate, and form just the introduction 
which we wish. Mr. Mac Walter says : — 

" The great celebrity of table-tapping, et cetera, if 
not surpassed, is equalled by the vast diversity of opinion 
which is abroad regarding it. The only unanimity it 
has provoked is — to disagree. No set of men, usually 
found to agree, hold similar views upon this subject, 
and each clings to an adopted notion with a pertinacity 
worthy of a better cause. Of course, there are excep- 
tions to this rule. There are some who only ponder 
upon its general effects without either questioning its 
genuineness, or doubting its falsity ; they are open to 
conviction, are impartial and deliberate. But there are 
others, who declare ' the whole thing incredible — a mon- 
strous imposition.' Because they have never seen a 
table turn without physical action employed to produce 
motion, therefore no table has been turned after any 
other manner. They never heard a table-tapping — 



170 THE KAFPEr.3. 

never witnessed any of these alleged wonders — and 
therefore, with generous grace, they place all the alleged 
facts to the account of over-excited imagination — mere 
absurdities, neither Satanic nor natural. In fact, no- 
thing but a huge and glaring mistake ! Others, again, 
feel that as thousands of unimpeachable witnesses, with 
intellects every whit as keen as any skeptics, have testi- 
fied to these marvels, they — even without actually hav- 
ing seen them themselves — ought not hastily to throw 
an atmosphere of doubt over each and all those cases 
which have been made public. It is not, indeed, easy to 
understand how great and penetrating men, like Judge 
Edmonds, could deliberately fabricate ' wonders,' or 
lend themselves to propagating as facts things of which 
they have even a shadow of doubt. Besides, if we* 
reject the credibility of credible men, because their 
testimony ajjjoears strange, we do that for which, when 
pushed to its logical conclusion, we should be sorry ; 
we practically cast from beneath us a grand and honored 
support. Many, doubtless, wishing, but unable to re- 
fuse this evidence, fancy that all these trustworthy wit- 
nesses have not sifted the matter sufficiently, or they 
might have detected, at least in the tahle-tcqyping ^ the 
effect of an ingenious mechanism — some toe-tapping, 
knee-rapping, bone-cracking, or crafty doings of the 7ne- 
dia, by means of some ingenious machinery. Others 
still consider the tahle- turning as the consequence of 
unconscious muscular action — so unconscious, indeed, 
that determined skeptics can hardly deny that it is truly 
strange, and nearly sufficient to woik (onvictlon. This, 



THE RAPPEES. 171 

perhaps, is more plausible than satisflictory, and does 
not at all account for iohlQ-tapplng. 

" There are others, who, while they confess to a be- 
lief in extraordinary manifestations, hesitate to ascribe 
their origin to mechanical, natural, or supernatural 
agencies. They are fearful, sensitive and over-credu- 
lous. Inclination induces them to lean to^Yards the 
notion that mere mechanism is 'at the bottom of all;' 
but experience will not sanction what might appear an 
agreeable conclusion. These people are in a mist, 
which they reluctantly prefer to that unclouded light 
which a highly -wn-ought imagination renders them appre- 
hensive of beholding. 

" Another section boldly declare that all is plain 
enough to them in the matter, — as clear as ' noon-day,' 
— without explaining w^hether ' noon-day ' be misty or 
not. They observe that strange — nay, astounding, — 
' manifestations,' such as are beyond all reason, take 
place without the possibility of collusion, and they ask 
How can these be else than supernatural ? But even 
more than that — they avow that it has been ' satisfac- 
torily settled,' that all are evil demonstvo.iiows — really 
Satanic; in fact, neither more nor less than a 'sign' 
that the end of the world is at hand, and that our great 
spiritual foe makes his presence manifest through the 
very tables on which we dine and sup, and which we 
turn to a variety of other pleasing purposes. 

Some wiser people shake their heads significantly, 
and wndely differ from the conclusions formed by all the 
others. They upbraid one party as hasty irrational. 



172 THE EAPPERR. 

obdurate, and skeptical ; they tell another that its theo- 
ry of muscular pressure falls to the ground if a very 
weighty table moves — nay, lifts itself up, which is only 
touched by a feeble girl ; and that such theory, more- 
over, cannot explain the rappings — the peculiar rap- 
pings — which acc#mpany these movements. As for the 
tapping with the feet, and similar kinds of imposture, the 
nicest tests have put the possibility of such collusion 
out of the question, and left the mystery so far undis- 
turbed. Respecting spirit interference, and all similar 
speculations, the singular evidences of deterioration in 
learning — in fact, the inexcusable ignorance — which the 
supposed spirits exhibit, are justly held up as a practical 
refutation of any such notion. 

It is, in truth, singular that men who were Aere of 
high attainments, turn out at the rapping seances to be 
hardly able to spell even their own names correctly. 
Besides, the presumed presence of spirits is quite incom- 
patible with all revealed knowledge. Those who thus 
rationally think, hold, in opposition to all other theo- 
rists, that the several conditions upon which the so- 
called manifestations depend, are human and earthly, 
and can in no wise be attributed to disembodied spirits ; 
that, though the effects appear so startling, they can be 
traced to known natural laws, and are the effects of a 
simple cause. 



THE RAPPERS. 1Y3 



CHAPTER III. 

A SERIES OF PHILOSOPHICAL RAPS ON TH£ RAPPERS, OR 
A DIGEST OF OPINIONS, PRO AND CON. 

" Alas !" exclaims the American, Hawthorne, in his 
" Blithedale Romance," when touching incidentally on 
the subject : " Alas ! methinks we have fallen on an 
evil age ! If these phenomena have not humbug at the 
bottom, so much the worse for us. What can they indi- 
cate in a spiritual way, except that the soul of man Is 
descending to a lower point than it has ever reached 
while incarnate ? We are pursuing a downward course 
in the eternal march, and thus bring ourselves into the 
same range with beings whom death — in requital of 
their gross and evil lives — has degraded below humanity. 
To hold intercourse with spirits of this order, we must 
stoop and grovel in some element more vile than earthly 
dust. These goblins, if they exist at all, are but the 
shadows of past mortality — mere refuse stufl', adjudged 
unworthy of the eternal world, and as the most favorable 
supposition, dwindling gradually into nothingness. The 
less we have to say to them, the better, lest we share 
their fate." 



174 THE RAPPEES. 

An American medium, Mr. Cooley, of Springfield, 
admits that these phenomena are of human origin ; that 
they are the result of electric or magnetic conditions, 
and that there is every possibility of reducing them to 
demonstration, and as this mode of solution is gradually 
obtaining ground, it is probable that the tone of the 
" Rappists" will gradually lower in proportion as they 
find themselves unsupported. Man, however, is an im- 
partial creature, and especially when his curiosity is ex- 
cited. What he cannot decide upon for himself, he 
feels thankful if any other will do so for him. 

A Rev. Mr. Godfrey propounds a theory of satanic 
agency, energizing itself in the inert legs of tables, and 
finds the spirits of the swine synonymous with epilepsy 
and madness. " The table," says Mr. Godfrey, " was 
more sagacious than a dog, and more obedient than a 
child. My impression is, that the placing the hands on 
the table, is a sort of incantation. By it the sitters sig- 
nify their wish to be brought into communication with 
the spirit-world. They sit until they are observed by 
some one of the wandering spirits, who thereupon enters 
the table, making it crack at the moment of its entering 
in. The reason why it will not obey any commands, 
unless hands are placed on, has suggested an idea, which, 
if it be true, is a very solemn one. It occurred to me, 
while writing, that the table ' moved simjyly hy the laying 
on of hands.'' ' This moral nothing,' (the table,) ''on the 
imposition of your hands, begins to live P Can it be that 
this is the beginning of Satan's last struggle — that on the 
imposliion ofhands^ the table is endued with power from 



THE RAPPERS. ' 175 

the devil, as the Lord's servants, on the imposition of 
hands^ were, in the apostle's days, endued with power 
from on high ? I merely ask, can it be ?" 

An European Journal, called the Zoist, a tolerably 
well-known, and, in some respects, a well-edited journal, 
strenuously advocating the doctrines of Mesmer, waits 
upon a medium, and gives us, with a certain significance 
of meaning, the preliminaries this wise : " The spirits are 
at times dilatory in making their presence known, which 
the medium accounts for in some such way as the pro- 
phet of old sarcastically hinted at the absence of Baal, 
but sooner or later they arrive, sometimes not till half 
an-hour has eLapsed, and then expectation is the more 
highly worked up, and so much the less time is left for 
rigorous examination. There is heard a foint rap at the 
table : so faint perhaps that the medium says, ' Hush — 
stop : I heard a rap.' All listen ; it is repeated : one 
hears it, and then another also hears it, and so on, till 
all agree that the rapping has begun, and the spirits 
have certainly arrived. All are now amazed, and all 
are attentive. The gentlemen become grave ; the ladies 
pale ; and all are satisfied that there Is something in it. 
The sound is like the packing of a bird ; like a slight 
striking of the edge of a finger-nail upon a hard sub- 
stance ; and sometimes the sound is of a stronger hit- 
ting ; all may be well imitated by striking the edge of a 
finger-nail upon a table with various degrees of force. 
The idea of an^^ thing peculiar, awful, unearthly in the 
sound, is ridiculous. There are slight raps from little 



176 THE RAPPEES. 

children, strong ones from gentlemen spirits, and soft 
raps from lady spirits." 

The result M'as a tissue of hazarded solutions to ques- 
tions put, in which bad grammar and vile spelling were 
only surpassed by the ludicrous extent of the mistakes. 
A gentleman at the conclusion took a letter from his 
pocket, and the spirit present was asked if it would be 
so kind as to tell the name of the writer. It at once 
knocked assent, but made a most unlucky miss : neither 
surname nor Christian name was rapped right ; and 
words were rapped out as different from the true as 
Jeremy Diddler is from Isaac Newton. And, why ? 
" Because he held the alphabet under the tahle^ so that the 
medium could not see it in his hand, and he kept his eyes 
fixed on one spot." Now however ungallant such a 
proceeding might have been, it is quite evident that the 
" dominant impression" of the visitor is caught by the 
acute medium, who, with a certain force of character, 
must read the questioner, and if he or she cannot antici- 
pate the question, every care is taken to direct the ques- 
tion, and to have it put, varied, shifted, and repeated in 
such form that the general correctness of any replies is 
thus by no means difficult to be accounted for. 

" Household Words," by Charles Dickens, has not 
been much more favorable to the pretensions of the 
" spiritual manifestations." The grave irony of this ad- 
mirable periodical is deepened into a fierce and sarcastic 
bittei-ness in Blackwood, who, laughing at the whole 
theory, practice, professors, and visitors, as dupers and 



THE EAPPEES. 177 

dupes, pours the whole phial of his ungovernable wrath 
on their devoted heads. 

In " Chambers' Journal," w^e find that the examinatiou 
has been conducted with considerable care ; and an evi- 
dent desire to be assured of the conscientious truth pre- 
vents the writer from coming to an actual decision, — 
whereby spirits and " mediums" receive the benefit of 
all doubts that may exist in their favor. 

An M. A. writing from Cambridge, describes, at some 
length, the results of an interview with a medium, Mrs. 
H., and bears testimony to the fact, that, in the majo- 
rity of instances, the questions (of an intricate kind, too) 
which he propounded were satisflictorily answered ; and 
while something like a suspicion came over him, that 
while the replies were being given, the solution of the 
mystery was to be found in the circumstance of his 
pausing on such correct letters as a quick-sighted and 
practised medium might easily notice. This was nega- 
tived, however, by the fact that replies were also cor- 
rect when the card w^as hidden. Even questions asked 
mentally, by himself and others present, and whose ve- 
racity he could trust in, terminated in the same satis- 
factory manner. 

" At a third interview," continues our Cambridge 
M. A,, " my time for questioning was very limited, but 
the following curious circumstance occurred : — I resolved 
to have some communication with which my own mind 
could have nothing to do in the way of influence. I re- 
ceived the following, which I give exactly as it was rap- 
ped out, that isj without any distinction of words or sen- 



178 THE KAPPEIIS. 

tences [a necessary feature in all these communications, 
as the reader will at once perceive.] ' What say estth 
ouaproof b roth ergodwill give you V The sense was 
not clear (indeed I thought it was all nonsense that I 
\yas getting) — until the end of the communication, when 
it appeared that the communication was : 'What say est 
thou 1 — a proof, brother, God will give you ! The word 
' brother' struck me as merely a common formula ; and, 
not having the most distant idea to whom I was indebted 
for this communication, 1 asked if the ' invisible' would 
ftivor me with his name. The answer was ' James." 
Now as I did not, at the moment, recollect any friend 
of mine in the spirit-world of that Christian name, I im- 
mediately thought of an old college friend of mine, who, 
however, is still living. So I next asked if it was any 
relation*? 'Yes.' What relation? 'Brother.' Audit 
was not till this moment that it occurred to me that I 
had a brother of that name who died when I was only a 
few months old, of whom, therefore, as the reader may 
suppose, I am not much in the habit of thinking." 

Strange as all this is, it is not so entirely inexplicable 
but that the spirits may be wholly dispensed with. In 
the scheme of Mesmerism, it is admitted that there is 
such a thing as thought-reading^ besides the striking phe- 
nomena of clairvoyance ; so that while the mesmerized 
patient can pierce walls and space, and give a catalogue 
of the furniture of a strange house, or describe correctly 
persons who — there may be reason to suppose — have not 
before been known to the patient, he (or she, for the 
female is more susceptible to the magnetic current than 



THE RAPrEKS. / 179 

the male) can read the thought and reply to the un- 
spoken question that is passing in the mind. 

The pulpit has not been slow, in eminent instances, 
to accept the spiritual explanation, but insists that the 
spirits are evil, and that the whole is of satanic origin. 
Some time back, the Rev. Dr. Tyng, an Episcopal cler- 
gyman, and rector of St. George's church, New- York, in 
a sermon, warned his hearers against having aught to 
say or do with these spirits. Without denying or ap- 
pearing to doubt the whole allegement of facts, he seems 
to have taken them for granted. Nor is that difficult if 
the power of the " prince of the air" is admitted to pos- 
sess equal extent and energy as formerly. 

From the " Paris Journal of Magnetism," a periodical 
of considerable pretensions, we feel tempted to take an 
extract, which still more reduces to the magnetic influ- 
ence the bold claims of these manifestations to spiritual ; 
and with such consistence as can be expected from a 
work ostensibly devoted to the propagation of the mag- 
netic theory, clearly points out where the solution is, 
sooner or later, to be found by those who feel an inter- 
est in seeking it. 

The letter appears under the signature of " Anna 
Blackwell," — "I have myself been present on one occa- 
sion only with a lady, a friend of mine, a distinguished 
writer, whom you well know yourself, at a private meet- 
ing, at Mr. Stone's house. We waited upwards of tf^'O 
hours before the rapping could or would be heard, ex- 
cept in slight and distant taps, A second medium, a 
young girl belonging to London, in whom the faculty 



ISO THE RAPPEES. 

has recently declared itself spontaneously, and who was 
present, told us that we must be patient ; for they would 
soon have prepared ' the battery,' and that already a 
crowd of our friends were there, and ready to communi- 
cate with us as soon as the telegraph should be in a state 
to act. During this long suspense, the table frequently 
became as if charged with electricity, and we felt, in- 
stead of shocks, a series of continual vibrations, as w^ell 
as in the floor, the chairs, &c. Another table, standing 
between ours and the windows, w^as likewise made to 
vibrate, and distant taps becoming audible from it, we 
seated ourselves round it to try whether it might not 
succeed better than our own. Shortly after the taps 
ordered the young girl to go, with the rest of the opera- 
tors, into another room, saying that her fluid thwarted 
that of Mrs. Haydon, the medium of Mr. Stone, and that 
they would talk with us as soon as we should be left 
alone with them. This was done, and strange noises, 
which we heard for the first time, filled the apartment, 
sounding all at the same time, so that it was not easy 
to distinguish one of them from another. But having 
contrived to learn the taps from some friends who de- 
clared themselves to be there — an easy matter, since 
each tap has its own note as distinguishable as the 
voice — I held with several of these strange communica- 
tors entire conversations, some of them absolutely intel- 
lectual, which fully convinced me that I was occupied 
with a being perfectly acquainted with my former career, 
and thoroughly sure of what he was saying. In reply 
to my mental questions, they quoted proper names, 



THE RAPPEES. 181 

dates, &c. — spelled by means of the alphabet with per- 
fect accuracy. As my friend herself was ignorant of the 
greater part of the facts alluded to by the taps, and as 
Mrs. Haydon, whom we both saw for the first time, 
knew no more than herself, it is evident that the medium, 
imless endowed w^ith the faculty of clairvoyance to an 
almost miraculous degree — and it appears she did not 
possess it at all — could take no part in these answers. 

" Erankly speaking, Mr. Editor, you yourself, who 
have long known me as a rational person, can you be- 
lieve that on that evening I felt, or thought I felt, a hand 
upon my left heel ? The pressure of the thumb on one 
side, and of the fingers on the other, was so well copied, 
that I at first innaglned that somebody had stolen be- 
neath my chair, and yet there was no one there ; and it 
would have been impossible for either of these two 
ladies to touch me in that manner, without stooping, 
even had not their hands been at the time on the 
table. 

" Since then anothex lady of my acquaintance, w^hilst 
she was trying to hold a table which would not be still, 
and on which she had laid her hands, had that hand 
severely pinched, aiid a ring which she wore was pulled 
witih so much violen<3e as to be broken in two. These 
pieces were drawn out in length another shape, so much 
altered, that it wsm impossible to join them." 



182 THE RAPPEES. 



CHAPTER IV. 

DIGEST OF OPINIONS CONTINUED A SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION. 

It is well that we can direct attention to arguments 
far more stable and tangible than any we have as yet had 
to deal with. Mr. E. C. Rogers, an American writer, has 
a very able and elaborate explanation of the spiritual 
rapping phenomena, which we shall now briefly notice. 

Mr. Rogers credits the existence of a newly discov- 
ered physical agent, "distinct from electricity, but 
closely allied with animal magnetism," and which is 
identical with the od or odylic force of Baron Reichen- 
bach. This force can be traced in two distinct forms of 
operation ; one is totally independent of a presiding in- 
telligence — the other exhibits the phenomena of intelli- 
gence ruling and guiding it. It thus becomes prevision 
— intelligent clairvoyance — acts at a distance through 
matter and space, and thus produces all the phenomena 
that have been attributed to direct spiritual agency. 

We are led on by a series of the nicest deductions, 
through a whole mass of attested physical phenomena, 
in which electricity can be clearly discovered as primary 
causation, until we arrive at that point where the line 
divides the invisible and the impalpable from the mate- 



•lliK EAPPEES. 183 

rial and the actual — that transition boundary, where 
spirit and body blend ; where the one becomes in a 
manner the other, and the positive characteristics of 
both are undistinguishable and undefinable by any tech- 
nology yet invented. Jf we remember that the myste- 
ries of alchemy have been transferred to the precise 
laws of chemistry, and that the fearful wonders of as- 
trology have assumed the sublime principles of astrono- 
my, we shall not be much mistaken if, sooner or later, 
the mysteries of electro biology and odylic phenomena 
be not reducible to as exact proportion, and become 
subject to laws as well defined, as any that are recog- 
nizable in the arena of the material world at the present 
hour. Science and discovery have done so much to ren- 
der the (alleged) impossible possible, that we neither 
doubt nor despair. Let us notice, then, the tendency of 
Mr. Rogers' doctrines. 

The somnambulic trances, and odyle-magnetic condi- 
tion of Angelique Cottin, and of Frederica Hauife, in ad- 
dition to others of less magnitude, but equal importance, 
are taken as the text of certain corollaries to be deduced 
therefrom, which amount to the following. The fact 
itself is very evident, that physical agents — subtle, un- 
seen — are everywhere at work. "Force shows itself," 
as Somerville remarks, " in everything that exists in the 
heavens or on the earth. It pervades every atom — 
rules the motions of animate and inanimate beings ; and 
is as sensible in the descent of a rain-drop, as in the 
falls of Niagara — in the weight of the air as in the peri- 
ods of the moon." There is a physical power which 



184 THE EAPPEES. 

" not only binds satellites to their planet, and planets 
with suns, and sun with sun, throughout the wide extent 
of creation, which is the cause of the disturbances as 
well as of the order of nature," but it physically binds 
man to man, and man to nature. And, as " every tre- 
mor it excites in one planet is immediately transmitted 
to the furtherest limits of the system, in oscillations, 
which correspond in their periods with the cause pro- 
ducing them, like sympathetic notes in music, or vibra- 
tions from the deep tones of an organ," so every vibra- 
tion thus excited, is transmissible to the delicate centres 
of every organic being, provided the repulsive agent of 
those beings is changed in its relative condition, so as to 
admit the influx. 

That the characteristics of this " force" differ from 
those of electricity, as commonly educed, appears from 
the circumstances attending the touching of Angelique 
Cottin, when a person would receive what really seemed 
a true electric shock, yet Arago could not detect the 
characteristics of electric agency. He noticed that the 
north pole of the magnet gave Angelique Cottin a 
powerful shock, and the south pole produced no effect 
upon her ; but he could not detect the least influence 
from her organism upon the magnetic needle ; and yet 
a powerful force from her body would overturn tables, 
and raise a heavy weight without contact. Not only 
so, but at times these outward things would attract 
her towards them — " Thus," argues a sound professor of 
science, "demonstrating the action and ?'eaction of the 
same agent, and that, whatever the force \va^, it acted 



THE EAPPERS. 185 

from the tables and other objects upon her — that therefore 
it resided with them as well as with her — that conse- 
quently, it was a common inorganic, physical agent, sus- 
ceptible, under favorable circumstances, of a most pow- 
erful action from the laboratory of the animal organs. 
Moreover, the facts throughout show that the condition 
required for this unusual evolution of force, is a specific 
variation of the organism from its normal condition. It 
is evident, therefore, that this agent is not the vital or- 
ganic agent^ nor a part of it, though the former is asso- 
ciated with the latter in the organism. We are not to 
conclude, however, that this is the only inorganic agent 
which is associated with the vital force. It is well 
known that electricity has its place among the other 
forces in the animal economy — so has heat — but they 
are "principles found universally in nature." 

" Vitality," says Dr. Wm. F. Channing, " is depen- 
dent on physical conditions, and performs its functions 
by the agency of physical forces. A distinction thus 
exists between the principle itself and the agents by 
which its results in the living structure are accomplished. 
This distinction is an essential one, and constitutes the 
basis of any system which proposes to act directly on 
the vital forces. The agents employed by the animal or- 
ganization^ are principles found universally in nature; 
and, in addition to these, a force which is peculiar to 
living structures, the special agent of vitality." Now, 
it might reasonably be expected, that if electricity, 
among other agents found " universally in nature," is 
also associated with the agent of the animal economy, it 



186 THE RAPPERS. 

might, under favorable conditions, exhibit its character- 
istic phenomena. 

It is well known to every chemist, that wherever 
there is chemical action, there is an evolution of electri- 
city. Now the vital force is constantly keeping up 
a chemical action in the animal organism ; it must there- 
fore follow that there is a constant evolution of electric 
agency in that organism. The experiments of Matteucci 
upon the muscles of animals, show that they act as ele- 
ments of a voltaic pile. Thus, when we connect the in- 
terior and the surface of the muscles of a living or 
recently killed animal by means of a conducting arc, the 
existence of an electric current is then vigorously de- 
monstrated. The current is always directed from the 
interior to the exterior of the same muscles. It exists 
without the direct influence of the nervous system, and 
is not modified even when we destroy the integrity of 
the latter. It is not, however, from the nutrition of the 
muscular system alone that the evolution of electricity 
takes place; nor is it to chemical action alone that it 
can be attributed. It is well known to philosophers that 
every change of matter, however slight, occasions an 
electric development. There is not a muscular move- 
ment, voluntary or involuntary, that does not break up 
portions of the organism into particles. Neither is 
there a motion of the brain, indeed, by thought, passion, 
or emotion, that does not produce the same effect. This 
change of matter in the organism — this constant disin- 
tegration, must therefore constantly evolve the electric 
agency. Respiration, circulation, digestion, secretion, 



THE RAPPEES. 187 

and so forth, are constantly giving freedom to this force. 
These opinions, the many experiments of Thilorier, La- 
fontaine, and others, confirmed in a lengthy paper laid 
before the Academy of Paris. These are essentially 
affirmative of Reichenbach's odic force, the more en- 
larged features of which are its independence of the 
usual conductors, or rather its capacity for transforming 
negative into positive conductors, and the like. Reich- 
enbach found this force as it emanated from the organ- 
ism, transmissible " not only through metals, but also 
glass, rosin, silk, &c., as if they were perfect conduc- 
tors." The analogy here is beyond all question on this 
ground. MM. Thilorier and Lafontaine, with their new 
agent, Matteucci, with his anomalous agent, and Reich- 
enbach, with his odyle, met in common. When the 
free odic force is thus accumulated in a body, it is re- 
tained in it in such a manner that it does not readily 
escape, as is the case with electricity. This is what 
takes place in the case of some mediums, who become 
powerfully charged with the odic force ; and it is under 
the circumstances of a sudden change of the nerve- 
centres of the organism that this force escapes, as was 
witnessed in the case of Angelique Cottin. Atone mo- 
ment, there were in her case, severe nervous paroxysms, 
a tremor of the muscles, and at one instant everything 
would be overthrown which she touched, or even ap- 
proached without touching. Now, the difference be- 
tween the case of Angelique Cottin and that of the so- 
called"*'" mediums" of the present day, with regard to 
the discharge, of the odic force, is this : — With the 



188 THE KAPPEES. 

former, the C3ause of the discharge laj wholly in the 
sympathetic and spinal nerve-centres. The unusual ac- 
cumulation of this force, in the first place, was caused 
by a peculiar abnormal action of the lower sympathetic 
nerves, mostly connected with the uterine functions. 
This accumulation of force arrived at its maximum be- 
tween the hours of seven and nine in the evening. Its 
infringement upon the spinal system at the time of its 
discharge, caused the spasms. The muscles also be- 
came charged with it from the sympathetic centres, 
causing their tremor ; and, what is worthy of observa- 
tion, the parts where the discharge of this force was 
very intense, would have a peculiar trembling, " which," 
says Arago, "communicated itself to the head which 
touched the parts." We say that the difference between 
this case and the " mediumsof the present day, in whose 
presence tables are moved, sometimes without touching, 
is that the force in the case of Angelique, discharged 
itself by causes acting below the psychological centres; 
whereas the discharge of the force from the organism of 
the " mediums," is more at the command of the brain 
centres. 

It is clearly established, at all events, that the magnet 
which has been developed in the experiments of mes- 
merizers is not an exclusive agent of the human organ- 
ism, but is a universal force in nature. That, inasmuch 
as the human nerves, and the centres of the brain, are 
peculiarly susceptible to its influence, the whole outward 
material world is, through the medium of this agent, 
brought into an intimate relation to the centres of the 



THE RAPPERS. 189 

human organism. Furthermore, as one human brain 
stands in a closer relation to another human brain 
than it does to a mere inorganic point, it follows, that it 
should be more susceptible to its influence ; and since 
this influence takes place without necessarily involving 
the action of the mind, that it is not therefore necessa- 
rily connected with the spiritual world. 

The subject debated by Rogers, regarding the force 
which was developed without an intelligent direction, 
soon opens out into proportions far more important, 
and introduces us to a force, the same in essence, that 
has an intelligent direction. 

The grand question now, and that A^hich the commu- 
nity most anxiously wait upon for a satisfactory answer 
is, Whence this intelligence] How is the table, the 
chair, made to move as by a law of intelligence ? And 
how is it that the medium's hand is made to move, 
without his own free-will, with tenfold the rapidity in 
intelligent words than the medium can voluntarily 
execute 1 Li short, Whence is all this apparent intelli- 
gence, without the conscious effort of any mortal present ? 

Carrying the argument still farther, to the theory of 
impressions as giving dominancy to the mind in an 
automatic and pre-sensatorial state, we think that the 
idea can be \qyj plainly stated thus : 

That an impression may be made upon the brain, or 
any part of it, in accordance with the law of sympathy, 
and then outwardly reflected in involuntary action, has 
been often demonstrated. Iodine and bromine on the 
daguerreotype plate, through the medium of light, re- 



190 TPIE EAPPERS. 

ceive an impression of objects brought within the focus 
of the camera. This may be said to be by a chemical 
law. True, and so when an image is impressed upon 
the retina of the eye through the same medium. It is 
not only, however, through the medium of light that 
impressions are made, but also through the medium of 
every form of imponderable or primary agency — 
through heat, magnetism, electricity, and odyle. 

In this process the same thing takes place that trans- 
pires every day ; so that it is not necessary that a per- 
son should be thrown into a mesmeric trance in order 
that an impression may be made, or a predilection of 
the brain effected. It is strange that it has not been 
seen that the mesmeric phenomena are but the extreme 
developments of the common principles of humanity — 
the law^ says Rogers, of every man's every day life. It 
is the property of the brain to receive impressions, but 
it is the prerogative of the self-conscious, self-determin- 
ing, disciplined mind to reject or to receive their influ- 
ence. And this is the reason why a highly-disciplined 
mind prevents a person from becoming a medium. An 
undisciplined mind has not a control over the brain, 
therefore it cannot prevent the influence of others in 
making impressions upon it ; and, when made, it cannot 
prevent their reflex action, or reflection back upon the 
outward world. This is also why, in order to develope 
a medium, a suspended state of the mind, a passive will, 
is found necessary. This condition is precisely the 
same with that which the mesmerist requires. 

The pre-established conditions are, therefore, first, a 



THE EAPPEKS. 191 

non-controlling state of the mind as to the action of the 
brain under the influence of external agencies ; second, 
a consequent readiness, on the part of the brain, to be 
played upon by the external agencies ; and, third, a 
promptness of the brain to give a reflex action of these 
impressions back upon the outward world, through the 
medium of the automatic apparatus, in the bodily frame, 
or through the odylic force, that, it is clear, emanates 
from it. Coming now to the " intelligent power," it 
follows that the material agent that produces the raps 
is controllable by the peculiar changes that take place 
in the organs of the brain. To have this fairly under- 
stood, a fact, familiar to all scientific persons, may be 
stated. It is this : whenever a change of matter takes 
place, the primary physical agent that especially belongs 
to that form of matter is evolved. For illustration: if 
you take a strip of sheet iron, about three-fourths of an 
inch wide, by four or five inches long, and hold it in the 
magnetic dip of the earth, so that the lower end shall 
reach within an inch of the north-pole of 'a magnetie 
needle, and, in this condition, give it a sudden twist 
(one hand being at each end of the iron) the needle will 
act as if struck with a stick, when indeed no visible 
thing has touched it. In such experiments over a deli- 
cate needle, Rogers, by varied twistings of the iron 
under varying circumstances, produced nearly a hundred 
varying results upon the needle. 

It is, no doubt, the prerogative of every man's miud 

or spirit to control the motions, and consequently the 

. changes of his brain within prescribed limits ; but, when 



192 . THE RAPPERS. 

the condition of the latter is such as a mesmeric trance 
and the like, the man's own personality is suspended in 
its prerogative action. The predominant influence upon 
it then becomes material — sensuous. Then the reflex 
action of another's brain will readily take place. An- 
other's wish or request will act as law. But Jf we 
assume the agent engaged in the physical phenomena to 
be a spiritual agent, independent of the medium, then, 
allowing the will of the medium to control it, we have 
a human will controlling an independent vspirit's will. 
This absurd and quite untenable notion is very dogma- 
tically held by many spirit-rappers, who contend that 
the table, or whatever it may be, " moans and speaks" 
under the compelled influence of disembodied spirits ! 

Speaking of a fictitious identity induced into the brain, 
which loses all apprehension of self, and becomes indivi- 
dualized with that of another, by which there arises 
synchronism of thought and idea in a -sort of prophetic 
transport, Mr. Rogers says, that, in some instances, a 
diseased action induced upon the organ adapted to the 
mind's sense of personality, will, in forms of this de- 
rangement, represent itself as God, in another will 
represent the personality of our Saviour, in another that 
of a mouse, and so on to a toad, a shilling bit, a stone, 
a — nothing, according to the accompanying conditions. 
The same thing takes place in sleep, trance, somnambu- 
lism, and clairvoyance. Professor Gregory, in speaking 
on such a subject, mentions several illustrative cases. 
Among them was that of a clairvoyant, who in this 
state described a locality in Caff*raria. While describ- 



' THE RAPPEES. 193 

ing himself as flying through the air, he all at once 
began " to appear uneasy and alarmed, and told me," 
says the Professor, " that he had fallen into the water, 
and would be drowned if I did not help him. I com- 
manded him to get out of the water, and, after much 
actual exertion and alarm, he said he had got to the 
brink. He then said that he had fallen into a river in 
Caffrariaj at a place where a friend of his was born. 
What seemed very remarkable was, that he spoke of 
the river, the field, farm-houses, people, animals, and 
woods, as if perfectly familiar to him ; and told me he 
had spent many years in that country, whereas he has 
never been out of Scotland." Now, no one will contend 
that this state of the young man belonged to the per- 
sonal, conscious self, the identical me of the man. The 
action of that rod yielded to the suspension of the nor- 
mal consciousness, the reason, and the will. The 
remaining action, therefore, was that of the brain centred 
under the influence of impressions. 

Mr. Rogers has known persons, on first becoming sub- 
jects of the " intelligent" phenomena of the " raps," to 
exercise a conscious control, as to the character or man- 
ner of phenomenal developments, but, on becoming 
more deeply inducted, the brain became subject, in spe- 
cific ways, to external influences, entirely independent 
of the "desire, or "wish," or "will" of the medium. 
Then, all seemed so foreign from the real personality of 
the individual, as to induce him to believe himself sub- 
ject to the influence of heavenly visitants. The same 
thing has been observed by Mr. Ballou. " It is a re- 



194 THE RAPPEES. 

markable fact," says he, " that some mediums, who, du- 
ring the first few days or weelts of their mediumship, 
knew themselves to have considerable power over the 
manifestations, have gradually become clear and passive, 
and found themselves, at last, utterly unable to affect 
the responses and communications made through them. 
For several weeks after he found himself a medium, he 
could get very much such answers to questions as he 
pleased. During that stage of his mediumship he felt 
quite confident the whole thing was but a new species 
of *' mesmerism." But after a while he began to fail of 
controlling the agency, and at length found it operating 
entirely independent of his most determined " wishings 
and willings." The power is allowed within the influ- 
ence of the " wishing" and the " willing" energy. The 
"wishing" and the " willing" are within the conscious- 
ness. But it is the " wishing" and the " willing" that in 
any case produce the phenomena directly. The " wish- 
ing" and the " willing" cannot take place in the brain, 
without at the same instant effecting a change of the 
matter of the brain. And it is by a change of matter 
that odylic agent (as in the case with electricity) is af- 
fected — -eliminated. Now, whether this change of mat- 
ter takes place in consequence of an action of the " will," 
or a " wish," or a conscious emotion, nothing but one of 
these three will be known to the mind, whereas the 
change of matter will be unconscious, and the conse 
quent emanation of the physical agent wil], therefore, 
be unconsciously affected, unless it interfere with the 



THE RAPPERS. 195 

sensorium. But avoiding this, there will be no conscious 
knowledge of the physical emanation. 

This fact is clearly exhibited where the medium's 
characteristic, bad orthography, is distinguished in the 
" raps." There is, however, no wish, no desire, no will, 
for such a result. There the habit of action lies in the 
brain — the tendency of the organ of language to act in a 
particular manner when excited is also there. We find, 
then, that certain words are always unconsciously spelled 
wrongly, whether the medium writes or spells the words 
vocally in the usual state, or whether she is acting in 
her professional capacity. In this latter case, she does 
not think of the words that are to be rapped out, nor of 
the letters that are to be thrown together to compose 
these words, and yet her orthography comes out true to 
the habit of her orthographic organ ; otherwise, why 
should the " raps" come on precisely those letters she 
would herself use in a word if writing to a friend 1 

In the face of such scientific evidence alone, we reckon 
that the assumption of a supernatural agency is as ab- 
surd as it is dangerous. It is worse than precipitate to 
attribute to the influence of disembodied spirits, that 
which so evidently lies within the sphere of the human 
organization, human relations, and mundane agencies. 
Applying the arguments thus based, and any reasonable 
inference deducible therefrom, Mr. Rogers has given us 
an analysis as subtle, as we must say, it appears to be 
most severely tested by the laws of logic — to the prin- 
ciples which produced that dominancy — the phenomena 
of the divining rod • as also to the magnetic trances, not 



196 THE RAPPERS. 

only of the Delphic Pythoness, but of the Seeress of Pre- 
vorst. It is inferred that all those cases where the phe- 
nomenon of movement of the divining rod takes place, 
the movement depends upon a specific relation of the 
nervous system to the emanation of this mundane agent, 
as the emanation of od from metallic substances and 
subterranean currents of vi^ater. It follows, therefore, 
that it is the same mundane agent that Reichenbach has 
discovered and named Od. But here it must be ob- 
served, that it is not the external od alone, — it is that 
in conjunction with the od of the human organism. It 
is the latter, then, that gives the characteristic phenome- 
non of the movement of the stick ; and it is because the 
od force from the particular locality is specifically related 
to the od force of the organism, and the action of the one 
in relation to the action of the other, that the stick moves. 
In haunted houses the like conditions are fulfilled — 
namely, the emanations of mundane force in relation to 
specific conditions of human organisms, especially the 
nerve-centres. Where these conditions are permanently 
established, a dwelling will be permanently " haunted." 
And not only dwellings, but particular localities, in hilly 
and mountainous regions especially, will be haunted 
spots. In such a place a man will not only hear strange 
sounds, but he will (as Goethe and the Seeress of Pre- 
vorst at one time,) see his own ghost. For it is in this 
mundane imponderable that the organic form of animal 
and man can reflect itself with all its characteristics. It 
is on this that every human being impresses the pecu- 
liarities of his life in the world ; so that, after the mate- 



THE RAPPEES. 197 

rial form, itself has gone to decay, its representation — 
its ghost — still exists, as that of the star. Alpha Lyra, 
which would still play its influence twenty years after 
the star itself had been blotted out of existence. When 
the nervous organization of an individual is brought into 
rapport with this mundane imponderable, the action of 
the former will have its exact counterpart repeated in 
another place, even at a distance. Strange as this may 
seem to those who have never thought upon the thou- 
sands of phenomena attesting it, it is nevertheless a fact 
of nature. 



198 THE RAPPEES. 



CHAPTER V. 

ANOTHER SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION. 

Another American author, Mr. J. B. Dods, explains 
the modern spirit manifestations as they are called, such 
as rapping, writing, moving furniture, &c., on the princi- 
ples of what he calls the voluntary and involuntary 
powers of the mind. He says that these manifestations 
are produced by allowing the involuntary powers of the 
mind in the back brain to take the place and execute 
the office of the voluntary powers of the mind in the 
front brain, and through the muscular and nervous force 
to give motion to the medium's foot or any part of the 
body, over which the medium, at that instant, has no 
more control than any other person who may be in the 
room with him. " The manifestations," says Mr. Dods, 
" are occasioned by too great a redundancy of electricity, 
congregated upon the involuntary nerves, through the 
passivity of the mind, and thus imparting to them 
extraordinary nervous force. And this force will be, 
more or less, in the same ratio that they are thrown 
out of balance with the voluntary nerves. In this con- 
dition, an electro-magnetic discharge from the fingers or 
toes of the medium may often produce an audible snap, 



THE RAPPEES. 199 

or even sound, by coming in contact with surrounding 
substances favorable to the propagation of sound, and 
be lieard at considerable distances. And, moreover, the 
sound will appear to originate in the very spot where 
it is heard. Or this electro-magnetic force, by endea- 
voring to equalize itself throughout the nervous system 
of the medium, may occasion a snapping in the head, or 
a striking together of the joints, that can be heard in an 
adjoining room, and even appear to be in the room. 
And while these phenomena are transpiring, that part 
of the body in which they occur will be entirely desti- 
tute of feeling at the very instant that each sound or 
rap is given. The entire passiviti/ of the voluntary j)oit'- 
ers of the mind and of the voluntary nerves is the cause of 
unduly charging the involuntary powers with too great an 
electro-nervous force^ and the result is those singular 
manifestations that are so confidently attributed to the 
agency of spirits. After being thus charged, the volun- 
tary powers have, doubtless, some agency in producing 
the sounds by a concentrated expectation, thus aiding 
the involuntary powers to produce an equilibrium, for 
there is a sympathetic connection between the two 
forces. • • 

Hence persons who are in a perfectly cataleptic state, 
and which is, at the same time, attended with a brilliant 
clairvoyance, are sometimes capable of producing 
electro-magnetic sounds from their own involuntary 
nervous force, so as to be heai^i at a considerable dis- 
tance. And being so near a state approaching the dead, 
and so sympathetically affected en rapport with the 



200 THE liAPPEKS. 

dying, that they often receive an impression, not only 
of the time the person dies, but also that the departed 
spirit, on its journey to future scenes, appears to, and 
addresses them." 

Mr. Dods thus explains his theory of the voluntary 
and involuntary powers of the mind : 

" We move the head, the eyes, the tongue, and lips, 
by the voluntary powers of the mind, and by the same 
power we move a finger, or the hands and arms to 
handle, and the feet and limbs to walk. At will we 
bend the body and ply every joint of the entire system. 
This, all are aware, is effected by the voluntary powers 
of the mind residing in the front brain, acting through 
the voluntary nerves. But over the motions of the 
heart, lungs, the circulation of the blood, the digestion 
of the food by the stomach, and all those movements on 
which the functions of life depend — over these we have 
no voluntary control. Awake or asleep, the heart con- 
tinues to beat whether we will or not, and all the phe- 
nomena of life proceed as usual in their destined course. 
All these movements are produced by the involuntary 
powers of the mind residing in the back brain, acting 
through the involuntary nerves, and are not the result, 
as has been uniformly supposed, of mere organic life 
entirely distinct from mind. That these two forces both 
belong to mind is certain, because take the spirit from 
the body, and all motion, both voluntary and involun- 
tary, instantly ceases. Hence, all the energies of reason, 
thought, understanding, consciousness, and will, belong 
exclusively to the voluntary powers of the mind. And 



THE RAPPERS. 201 

all the movements on which the functions of life depend, 
and all the instinctive energies or intuitions of our be- 
ing, belong to the involuntary powers of the mind. 
Hence, man has his instincts superior to all creatures in 
existence, and mind, like every other faculty in man, is 
double. 

" We perceive, then, that the voluntary power of the 
mind can move or suspend motion, can act or cease 
acting, can reason, think, understand, and will, or sus- 
pend all these, as in sleep. But the involuntary power 
of the mind continues its ceaseless self-motion through 
every period of existence, when we are asleep as well 
as when awake. It has no power to stop, because mo- 
tion is an inherent attribute of its nature. Seeing, 
hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, belong to the invol- 
untary powers of the mind, where all impressions 
through the senses are first received, and from thence, 
are instantly transmitted to the voluntary powers of 
the mind, where they are compared and formed into 
ideas by the power of what we term reason and asso- 
ciation. Though the voluntary and involuntary powers 
of the mind are entirely distinct attributes, belonging 
to two distinct brains, yet there is, at the same time, 
an indissoluble connection existing between the two, 
and also a strong sympathy to concur together in one 
common state and mode of action, through indulgence 
and habit." 

Mr. Dods cites a great many striking illustrations 

from ancient and modern history to prove his theory, 

that all the spirit manifestations which have transpii^ed 
9=^ 



202 THE RAPPERS. 

among mediums, such as involuntary writing, involun- 
tary mesmerizing, involuntary speaking, involuntary 
table-tipping, involuntary rapping, arise from the mys- 
terious movements and operations of the involuntary 
powers of the human mind, acting through the invol- 
untary nerves. He accounts for the intelligence con- 
nected with these involuntary motions in the following 
manner : 

" Every part of the human system, we may say, is 
double. We have two hands, two feet, two glands of 
taste, two eyes, and two ears. The heart is double, 
having its two auricles and two ventricles, and so is 
even the circulating system double — the arterial and 
venous. The human brain is likewise double, and so is 
the mind, that pervades and actuates it, also double. 
The positive and negative forces respond to, and balance 
each other, and pervade all nature. We have, in 
reality, two distinct brains, each performing its own 
distinct office, so long as they are kept in proper har- 
mony with each other. The one is called the cerebrum^ 
which lies in the front part of the skull, occupying the 
greater portion of its cavity ; and the other is called the 
cerebellum, and occupies the back portion of the skull. 

The front brain is perfect by itself, having its two 
hemispheres, and also its lobes. It is double, and is the 
organ of all voluntary motion, by which alone we move 
the head, the hands, the feet, or the whole body. This 
front brain is the residence, the earthly house of that 
part of the mind that exercises volition, thought, under- 
standing, and reason. If one-half of this brain be para- 



THE RAPPERS. 203 

lyzed, it renders half of the system useless, so that we 
are unable to move it. 

The back brain is also perfect by itself, having its 
own distinct lobes, is likewise double, and is the organ 
of involuntary motion and organic life. It throbs the 
heart, moves the blood, gives power to the stomach to 
digest its food, and imparts energy to the glands to 
produce their secretions, Tt is the residence, the 
earthly house of that part of the mind that exercises 
involuntary power in accordance with the harmony of 
the universe. It moves, it rolls on with external nature, 
drinks in, and feels her impressions, and scans them by 
the power of its own intuitions. This part of the mind 
contains all the instincts of our nature. Hence it does 
not will, understand, and reason, as the voluntary de- 
partment of the mind in the front brain reasons. It 
intuitively knows, or involuntarily reasons. Under 
certain circumstances and conditions, like the mesmeric 
or psychological state, it takes the throne, compels 
reason to bow to its mandate, and with the brightness 
of its blaze throws all the voluntary powers of the soul, 
residing in the front brain, into comparative darkness, 
and pours out the eloquence of truth like a river of life, 
clear as crystal, from its throne. When the back brain 
is thus roused into action, the front brain knows nothing 
of its secret doings, its intuitive powers, and instinctive 
energies. Each brain may manifest its intelligence and 
impressions separate and independent, as it were, of the 
other, yet there is, at th^ a^me time, an undisturbed 
h:irinony, a sympa,tl';^tlc connection existing between the 



204: THE KAPPERS. 

two. The first manifests itself by the involuntary 
power of thought and reason. The second manifests itself 
by the involuntary power of intuition and instinct, and 
while doing so, the^rs^ has no remembrance, no know- 
ledge of its acts. This is a state well-known to medical 
men and physiological writers, who call it double con- 
sciousness. Please to bear in mind that the brain is 
double, as a meet tabernacle adapted to the living spirit 
or mind as its inhabitant, which is also double. Seeing, 
hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, are involuntary. If 
our eyes are open, we cannot avoid seeing ; if there is a 
sound near us, we cannot avoid hearing ; and if there is 
an odor, we cannot avoid smelling. As our senses are 
involuntary, so they belong to the involuntary power. 
Hence all impressions, received through the senses, are 
first conveyed to the involuntary department of the 
mind in the back brain as the grand magazine — the 
kitchen — where they are prepared, and then passed on 
to the fields of volition, thought, and reason, in the 
front brain, to be digested and manufactured into ideas 
by the power of association." 

Mr. Dods applies his theory to a writing medium in 
this wise : 

" The medium, for instance, sits down and resigns all 
power over the voluntary nerves, under the impression 
that some immortal spirit will move the hand to write, 
and thus make some communication through him. He 
assumes a state of entire passivity, and, so far as the 
motion of his hand is concerned, he remains perfectly 
indifferent. He does not will nor exercise even the 



THE EAPPERS. 205 

slightest mental effort to move his hand. But soon the 
hand does move, either more slowly or with far moi-e 
than ordinary rapidity, and a sentence is produced. 
But, in the production of this sentence the medium, 
really and honestly, had no more conscious volition 
than any other person present. 

" How, then, it may be asked, did he form letters 
without thinking'? The answer is, that it was intui- 
tively produced by the involuntary powers of the mind, 
through the nervous force of the arm, and by a nervous 
sympathy they would produce such letters only, as by 
long-established habit he had uniformly written by the 
voluntary powers of his mind." 

The sum of Mr. Dods' theory is, that "The so-called 
spirit-manifestations are produced by the involuntary 
powers of the human mind through the nervous force of 
those persons only who are either in the electro-psycholo- 
gical state, or in the mesmeric state, or in an entire or 
partial cataleptic state — these three. These three con- 
ditions, it is to be understood, involve not only som- 
nambulism and trance, but every abnormal condition to 
which "human beings may be subject." 



THE KAPPER8. 



CHAPTER VI. 

A LITTLE PHILOSOPHY AND SOME ILLUSTRATION OF SPIRIT 
LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND TACTICS. 

We shall again let an English writer on spiritualism 
rap for us, in this chapter, as it is our design to give to 
the reader as complete a view of this subject as possible. 
The English writer raps philosophically and illustra- 
tively as follows : 

The " modern mystery" no doubt comprehends the 
whole phenomena of clairvoyance, magnetism, spirit- 
rapping, table turning, and spectral illusions in every 
form. How are these produced ? Whence arise they ? 
Are they real or illusive 1 Are they the offspring of as 
yet unexplored natural laws, or are they the genuine 
product of deception and credulity 1 Let it not be unre- 
marked either, that the believers are few, the disciples 
limited, or the secret in a nutshell — facts which three- 
fourths of the world overlook. 

The normal condition of man is that of full and abun- 
dant health — health of body and of mind — mens sana in 
corpore sano. The opposite to this is disease, not of the 
incidental and usual kind, but organic and chronic. The 



THE KAPPEES. 207 

functions disturbed, the tension of nerve and muscle 
relaxed, the cerebral system deranged, the stomach ab- 
normal, and as it were, teeming with vapors that wrap 
up and blind the senses, like the phantasma of sleep, all 
these prepare an individual to think differently from all 
other people ; to see in a shadowy manner ; to receive 
strange and fantastic impressions, and to be affected by 
them. They are subject to electric and magnetic cur- 
rents ; and the fluids testify their presence in ways now 
so well known, that only the rarity and isolation of such 
abnormal cases render them comparative mysteries to 
the uninitiated, i. e. to the great body of the commu- 
nity. Insanity, in its mild forms of dementia and hallu- 
cination, is but another of the modes of this abnormal 
development. The brain-struck, the dupe of an exagger- 
ated nervous temperament, believes as firmly in the 
fancies that beset him — vague, shadowy, and unreal as 
they are — as firmly as sanity believes in substance, 
weight, proportion. The demented milliner in Bedlam, 
waving her sceptre of straw, is as veritable to herself as 
ever was the Queen of Sheba, or even Victoria. These 
are suggestive enough of agencies acted upon by laws, 
chemical and organic, but also occult and unknown. 
What is our inference, then? Are the diseased, the 
nervous, the insane, to form, in their moral aspects and 
condition, such precedents and laws which, taken for 
granted, shall rule the universe, man and nature, or are 
they siuiply exceptions, showing to us that things out of 
their common proportion, " like sweet bells jingled out 
of tune,", make a discord at once hideous and revolting 



208 THE KAPPERS. 

in the sublimely harmonious working of the great uni- 
verse, animate and inanimate 1 

These things occurring, however, where knowledge is 
rare, and science vague, fall under the observation of 
fraud and cunning. Some " medium" starts forth, and 
translates words and actions to the wondering crowds ; 
and the process of imposture thus begun, continues to ac- 
celerate, like a ball rolling down hill, till the surround- 
ing masses are leavened with fear, and awed with a 
*' blind belief in divinities," like the superstitious man 
of Theophrastus. There is a principle of epidemic in 
whatever verges on the supernatural ; and the very fact 
that there is an absence of all reasoning, a negation of 
all judgment, and an implicit and unquestioning depend- 
ence on the part of witnesses and hearers, only aid in 
the propaganda — fruitful as it is in all those moral evils 
which accrue to the world when deception is rampant, 
and credulity dominant. 

Now belief, to be effective, should have the sanction 
of the larger number. Whatever can carry conviction, 
must arise from a vast unity of opinion. That the 
" mystery of the day," starting first with a diseased con- 
dition of body and of mind, should have attracted so 
great a degree of attention, is the more to be wondered 
at, when we remark, how limited, after all, its sphere is, 
how few, comparatively speaking, the electrical agents, 
the odylic bodies, are. The magneto-dynamic forces ap- 
pear to aifect, here and there, a few solitary individuals ; 
but as this furnishes a stock-in-trade to the " thirty thou- 
sand medicC of the United States, it is a justifiable infer- 



THE EAPPEE8. 209 

euce, that where there may exist a little truth, as con- 
nected with nervous patients, and persons highly ob- 
noxious to electrical influences, there must also be a 
vast deal of cheatery and imposture practised among 
these same thirty thousand, to make so small an amount 
of wares go so far. 

A gloomy cast of thought generates the same tene- 
brous fancies. A febrile constitution is creative and 
fertile in imaginings. What visions, what rappings, 
what converse with the shadowy spectres of another ex- 
istence, what communings with the radiant ^Eons, or 
what ravings with demoniac images flitting like lost souls 
on the Plutonian shores, when a vicious life, and intem- 
perance, has deranged the fine corporeity of matter and 
spirit, all these have and hold, the doctor, the nurse, the 
watcher by the sick-bed, know full well. Was the com- 
munion of Socrates and his demon all fiction ? Did 
Swedenborg, in his rapt ecstasies, merely weave a tissue 
of falsehood? Have we not some faint, vague idea, all 
of us, that in sleep the soul has consciousness of another 
life, of dwelling with other essences, of "spheres," 
" zones," and " circles," as the priesthood of spirit- 
rapping phrase it? If we do concede to the theorizers 
very much that may go to establish the audacious claims 
they make, it is because we too know, that " there are 
more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in 
any philosophy." What then % That which they term 
supernatural, we claim to be natural, the invariable re- 
sult arising from the same invariable causes. Did the 
modern Psychopannichists ever draw more marvellous 



210 THE RAPPERS. 

utterances from the spectral lips they would have us 
believe in, than are gathered from the lips of fever, or 
from a raving poet's rhapsodies 1 When Coleridge was 
under the influence of opium (which is far more mar- 
vellous in its working, than the vulgarities of table- 
turning,) he wrote a wondrous piece of melody, without 
meaning, known as "Khubla Khan." Is there more 
meaning derivable from darkened rooms, where electric 
fires flash to and fro, from furniture overthrown, from a 
discord of horrible noises, or from the laughable replies 
given to questions, spelt in defiance of grammar, and 
spoken without logic, which trance after trance have 
eliminated ? 

To show how easy it is to arrive at darkness from 
light, to convert the common-place into the mysterious, 
and to ally disease with the demon, we could give exam- 
ples enough. It is not against the data, but with the 
deduction, that we must protest. It is because the 
world take the initiative from the impudent assertion of 
the mesmeric or spirit-rapping quack, and asks not, or 
judges not for itself, that we feel our way cautiously in 
this dark labyrinth. We do not laugh or scorn men's 
hallucinations, knowing well how easily impressions, 
bright or black, are made. Here for instance, is a case 
in point, extracted from Mrs. Crowe's remarkable work, 
"The NightsiJfe of Nature." 

" Dr. Bardili had a case in the year 1830, which he 
considered decidedly to be one of possession. The pa- 
tient was a peasant woman, aged thirty -four, who never 
had any sickness whatever, and the whole of whose 



THE RAPPEES. 211 

bodily functions continued perfectly regular, whilst she 
exhibited the following strange phenomena. She was 
happily married, had three children, was not a fanatic, 
and bore an excellent character for regularity and indus- 
try, when, without any warning or perceptible cause, she 
was seized with the most extraordinary convulsions, 
whilst a strange voice proceeded from her, which assumed 
to be that of an unblessed spirit, who had formerly in- 
habited a human form. While these fits were on, she 
entirely lost her own individuality, and became this 
person. On returning to herself, her understanding and 
character were as entire as before. The blasphemy and 
cursing, and barking and screeching, were dreadful. She 
was wounded and injured severely, by the violent falls 
and blows she gave herself; and when she had an inter- 
mission, she could do nothing but weep over what they 
told her had passed, and the state in which she saw her- 
self She was reduced to a skeleton ; for when she 
wanted to eat, the spoon was turned round in her hand, 
and she often fasted for days together. This affliction 
lasted for three years, all remedies failed, and the only 
alleviation she obtained, was by the continued and earn- 
est prayers of those about her, and her own ; for although 
this demon did not like prayers, and violently opposed 
her kneeling down, often forcing her to outrageous fits 
of laughter, still they had a power over him. It is 
remarkable that pregnancy, confinement, and the nursing 
of the child, made not the least difference in her condi- 
tion. * * * * At length, being magnetized, she 
fell into a partially somnambulic state, in which another 



212 THE EAPPERS. 

voice was heard to pro ceed from her, being that of her 
protecting spirit, which encouraged her to patience and 
hope, and promised that the evil guest would be obliged 
to vacate his quarters. She often fell now into a mag- 
netic state, without the aid of a magnetizer. At the end 
of three years, she was entirely relieved, and as well as 
ever. 

What would the medium have made of this ? Would 
he not take her ravings as invocations, and knowing the 
nature of a paroxysm, and its occurrences, would he not 
suit his subject or his question to the crisis and the 
hour 1 Or would he not give strong local coloring to 
what was thus uttered, and skilfully adapt such to the 
impressionability of his audience or hearers ? 

When spirit-rapping had established itself both in 
theory and practice, after so many years of slumber, it 
was found that, while being tedious, though startling 
perhaps, it was empty and very limited. The following, 
for instance, while it embodies the whole essentials of 
spirit-rapping, its origin, range and characteristics, shows 
also, as we shall presently see, that large as was its 
scope and action, and wonderful as it might seem, it 
was also as equivocal as it was insufficient for all pur- 
poses. Mr. Hammond, a clergyman, of Rochester, (U. 
S.,) details the particulars of a third visit paid to a family 
(the Foxes,) in whose residence the mysterious sounds 
we now refer to, had been heard. He says : 

" I was selected from half a dozen gentlemen, and di- 
rected by these sounds to retire to another apartment, 
in company with the ' three sisters' and their aged 



THE EAPPEKS 213 

mother. It was about eight o'clock in the evening. A 
lighted candle was placed on a large table, and we 
seated ourselves around it. I occupied one side of the 
table, the mother and youngest daughter the right, and 
two of the sisters the left, leaving the opposite side of 
the table vacant. On taking our position, the sounds 
were heard, and continued to multiply and become more 
violent, until every part of the room trembled with 
their demonstrations. They were unlike anything I had 
heard before. Suddenly, as we were all resting on the 
table, I felt the side next to me move upward. I pressed 
upon it heavily, but soon it passed out of the reach of 
us all, full six feet from me, and at least four from the 
person nearest to it. * * * In this position it was 
situated when the question was asked, ' Will the spirit 
move the table back where it was before?' And back 
it came, as though it were carried on the head of some 
one who had not suited his position to a perfect equi- 
poise, the balance being sometimes in favor of one side, 
and then the other. But it regained its first position. 
In the meantime the demonstrations grew louder and 
louder. The family commenced and sung the ' spirit's 
song,' and several other pieces of sacred music, during 
which accurate time was marked on the table, causing it 
to vibrate ; a transparent hand, resembling a shadow, 
presented itself before my face. I felt fingers taking 
hold of a lock of hair, on the left side of my head, caus- 
ing an inclination of several inches, then a cold-death- 
like hand was drawn designedly over my face, three 
gentle raps over my left knee, my right limb forcibly 



!^14 THE KAPPERS. 

pulled against strong resistance, under the table, a vio- 
lent shaking, as though two hands were applied to my 
shoulders, myself and chair uplifted, and moved back, 
and several slaps as with the hand on the sides of the 
head, which were repeated on each one of the company. 
During these manifestations, a piece of pasteboard, 
nearly a foot square, was swung with such velocity be- 
fore us, as to throw a strong current of air into our 
faces, a paper curtain attached to one of the windows, 
was rolled up and unrolled twice, a lounge immediately 
behind me was shaken violently. Two small drawers 
in a bureau played back and forth with inconceivable 
rapidity ; a sound resembling a man sawing boards, and 
planing them, was heard under the table ; a common 
spinning-wheel seemed to be in motion, making a very 
natural buzz of the spindle ; a reel articulated each knot 
wound upon it, while the sound of a rocking cradle indi- 
cated maternal cares for the infant's slumbers. I felt a 
perfect self-possession, except a momentary chill when 
the cold hand was applied to my face, similar to a sensa- 
tion I have realized when touching a dead body." 

And now let us see how " spirit-rapping," under the 
judicious training of its media, created for itself new 
methods of development, and rendered the business of 
the medium more complicated. Between the souls of 
the living and those departed, we wMll assume, from the 
solemn yearnings, the promises of dwelling together in a 
future state, and from a number of other indications of a 
like nature, that, if there be no direct communion, there 
is ground to believe the wish for it exists. Now, if 



THE KAPPEES, 316 

whatever difficulties lie in the way, be removed — if there 
arises one who can stand between, and interpret the 
question and the answer, tell the desire, and make 
known tlie revelation, the desideratum has at once its 
accomplishment. Whether we believe the fact or no, 
such persons have asserted themselves. The spirits are 
not to be controlled by the medium, though it would 
seem that they are sensible to entreaty, and that an 
excess of politeness is never thrown away. The medium 
cannot command a presence, nor if there be a presence, 
can he compel its (alleged) usual mode of signifying that 
it — that is, the spirit — is there. 

Now, the alphabetical order of rapping is not only 
well known, but its tediousness has been experienced 
and commented upon in many a daily journal. The 
progress made in this round-about manner, gives some 
240 letters in an hour. Consequently, as the method is 
diffuse, and time is exhausted, the most momentous reve- 
lations — none of the remotest consequences have as yet 
been recorded — can never be made, unless the com- 
munion can, like chapters in a serial, be " continued in 
our next." A sort of oral short-hand would have been 
desirable, only that the thing would be so full of breaks 
and incoherences, as to render that impossible. 

Philosophy resolves many difficulties. Perseverance 
conquers all obstacles. The proper study of the medium 
was spirit, and he ingeniously constructed a card, with 
the letters of the alphabet upon it, as an experiment, to 
be laid aside if it failed. We know not what we can do, 
like the Hibernian with the double-bass, till we try. 



216 THE EAPPERS. 

During a communication between the medium and the 
supposed spirit, the former passed his hand over the 
alphabet, until he found his finger sensibly and irresisti- 
bly arrested at a certain letter, and so on, until the 
word, the sentence, was completed. What sort of com- 
munications these turned out to be, read all the works 
published on the subject, and — laugh. 

The hand of the medium is thus calmly given over to 
the devices of the " spirit." This chronic power extends 
over its brawn and muscle, without aught that we know 
of intervening between. Sometimes it is mild and gen- 
tle — sometimes violent and rude. At others it hesi- 
tates, and the digit hovers in suspense over the magic 
letters. These letters are spelt with immense rapidity 
for the most part, and the words, as spelt, are called out; 
and it is said that an expert penman would be puzzled 
to follow the dictation, when the " steam" is really on. 
To this system there arose many very serious objec- 
tions ; besides that, the revelations made through two 
mediums contradicted each other very flatly. 

In this modus operandi of the revelation there was yet 
a hitch. Improved as the system was, it yet failed, after 
having worked well for a time, to satisfy the avidity of 
the curious. It was but a small difficulty to obviate, 
the trouble of being, in a manner, one's own decipherer. 
The same influence that could leave the sphere, through 
odylic attraction, with the medium, and compel his hand 
to spell a meaning and a phrase, could dismiss the more 
cumbrous machinery, and make the same hand write for 
itself. Cest unfait accompli. The thing was done ; but 



THE RAPPERS. 217 

no sooner had one written on this hint, than a score of 
writing mediums, like so many Richmonds, were in the 
field. 

As credulity enlarged itseif, in some degree, it must 
have puzzled the mediums to keep pace with its march. 
It was a bold hazard to urge a belief upon audience after 
audience, who assemble to behold a man sitting at a 
table to write, that he did this with an abnegation of 
self, with a negation of all will, and that what resulted, 
was the effect of a plenary and spiritual inspiration. 
They explained its mysteries thus :— The spirit gave the 
medium mind and hand. One is paralyzed for the mo- 
ment — the other is active. The hand thus active, is 
active only by the spirit power which urges it. There 
is a discrepancy about the manner in which this power 
is used, whether internal — by volition of electric cur- 
rents through the muscular tissue — or by a sort of domi- 
nant but unseen outer force. In these things simplicity 
and plainness would lose their effect, and the result of a 
statement, simply and lucidly made, would have pro- 
voked laughter and scorn. 

What wonder, then — if the appetite of the curious 
predisposes them to believe in supernatural agencies, in 
second sight, clairvoyance, magnetism, and spectre- 
seeing — that there should be no lack of food and pro- 
vender for so rabid a taste ? We know too well, that 
such a thing as being en rapport with a person can exist. 
Nay, it does. Is not this the whole secret of the attrac- 
tion and the repulsion of life ? It is the characteristic of 

electric phenomena to exhibit itself in noise and lumin- 
10 



218 THE KAPPEKS. 

ous flashes. What can this have to do with rapping, 
card-spelling, and the like '? Even the hierophants of 
the system do not explain the connexion. Admitting 
that " spirit"-rapping be a positive actuality, where are 
its uses, what its tendency, and what its value ? If it 
be portions of an unexplained phenomenon, which has 
not yet attained full development, how is it that, with 
the discovery alone, the whole of its results terminate 1 
Without entering here into the question of its pro- 
priety — without inquiring whether it is, or is not, por- 
tion of a forbidden and unholy art, we can yet feel sur- 
prised that, with so much parade, there should be pro- 
duced such imbecile consequences for any tangible 
good — not to speak here of those deplorable casualties 
which the annals of insanity or coma but too terribly 
point out. 

The invention of a language for the spirit-spheres, was 
a thing that might have been earlier hit upon. It is 
written by the medium, but in no recognized characters, 
antique or modern. On the shores of ancient Nile, no 
sign or carven stone, no mystic tongue of the priest- 
hood, nor Coptic letters, give the faintest foreshadowing 
of it. A young lady (so says the "Spiritual Tele- 
graph") translates this undiscoverable tongue into the 
sounds of a short sentence, " Ki-e-lou-cou-ze-ta," and 
again renders this Ethiopian serenaders' burthen of a 
chorus, to which it seems most alike, as follows: — "As 
heaven or the spirit-spheres are to be the future home 
of all mankind, so is knowledge to accompany them in 
the paths of wisdom; while peace and love, in a chain 



THE RAPPEES. 219 

of goodness, shall bind the universal whole in the bonds 
of harmony." A very fine phrase this — "goot 'orts 
loot you," as Captain Fluellen said — and proves the 
compressible elasticity that can comprehend some sixty 
round syllables within six, and is doubtless the oral 
short-hand we lamented the absence of some few pages 
back. 

They have, as a part of the mode, the incantation, and 
the invocation. There must be incense, adulation, and 
poetry too. As in the spheres they have music, and 
musk, ambergris, fans, and fine clothes, so have the neo- 
phytes an affectation of fumigation, singing, and other 
modern modes of divination. To contemplate the ex- 
cessive air of satisfaction with which the geographical 
and social details of the circles and zones are given, is 
a matter of pure wonderment to us, who have not the 
gift of singing, and whose imaginations are pitifully 
restricted, all we fear, of small avail. Why is it that 
we hear so little of spirit-rapping just now, compared to 
what we did a few months past ? Are spirits and pro- 
fessors gone to " star it" elsewhere ? Is the delusion on 
the decline, and the system fallen in speedy decadence? 
Has ingenuity exhausted itself, and failed to go farther? 
One by one the pretences have been stripped, and laid 
aside. Collusion has been exposed, and the machiner^'of 
a rapping-table proved an ingenious knavery. Electric 
shocks,' and the dislocation of knee-caps, have been more 
than spoken of, and Poltergeist himself has taken shelter 
in Franklin's Leyden jar. 

They are not to be compared, we think, with the 



220 THE RAPPEES. 

marvellous verities of Doctors Kerner and Reichenbach, 
in the matter of Angelique Cottin, and Frederica HaufFe. 
Truth is stranger than fiction, and catalepsy, somnambu- 
lism, and the like, are mysteries far more awful, we 
believe, than spirit-rapping, or any of the communica- 
tions that have descended from any sphere. Between 
knowledge and ignorance, a strong race is running ; and 
whether this is to be an age of credulity and imposture, 
or one of calm inquiry, where doubt itself holds a rev- 
erend air, and skepticism shrinks abashed, as yet remains 
to be seen. Meantime, let us proceed with our investi- 
gation of the mystery. 

While considering the claims of the spirit-rappists, in 
every possible way, and giving them ungrudgingly all 
the advantages they can prove, and even more, the fact 
must not be overlooked, that all the marvel, the won- 
der, the astounding part of spirit-rapping, and its con- 
geners, lie less in its de facto existence, and literal 
aspects, than in the prose-poetical coloring which the 
litterateurs of that doctrine have presented to an admir- 
ing, and let us hope, (or their labor is else thrown away) 
a grateful world. To read the writings of Adin Ballou, 
and of the spirit journals, gazettes, and other spectral 
bulletins of the States, is like reading a new revelation. 
The story of Cupid and Psyche — the splendid fables of 
old mythology — the gorgeous habiliments of the Arabian 
Nights, all pale "their ineffectual fires" before the glo- 
ries thus indicated to our mundane eyes. Mystery is the 
arch enchantress in all things, material and immaterial ; 
and so Zoroaster taught that fire was the principle of 



THE RAPPERS. 221 

life, and mounts upward to meet its lord and master ; 
and Plato peopled space with a teeming mass of breathing 
creatures, the minute atoms of an invisible universe, 
surrounding and pervading even us. So also, according 
to the fanciful jargon of the old Platonic schools, fire, 
air, and water, owe their origin to the principle of the 
scalene triangle; that the earth is created from the 
principle of right-angled triangles; that sphere and 
pyramid symbolize in themselves the figure of flame; 
while air is figured in the octahedron, and water by the 
icosahedron, and the like ; that the sphere images the 
beautiful and the true, as containing and comprehending 
all things and principles that are or can be suggested by 
geometric formulae. Now, carrying out this principle 
of mystery, it is easy to understand the solemnities 
of the Eleusinian mysteries; the fulgid splendors, play- 
ing in keen and darting fires, as the great veil that sepa- 
rated the neophyte from the hierophant, in the Temple 
of Isis(the mysteries of knowledge only being foresha- 
dowed) ; the sphinx-like riddle of the Coptic Zodiac, so 
easy of solution, being a meteorological alphabet of the 
seasons, better explained in symbol and hieroglyph than 
by any other known method. It is easy to comprehend 
the thirst to know, the awe with which the ardent ap- 
proached such lofty secrets as these, and how Delphic 
Apollo, Dodonian Oak, Ephesian Diana, and Roman 
Sybil became, in the eyes of the unlearned world, the 
august impersonations, and the incarnations of mystery, 
which in fact they were. 

It has been thus through every age downward. The 



222 THE RAPPEES. 

human mind is the same. Its senses, passions, and ex- 
tremes of belief and doubt, precisely the same, only that 
the conditions are changed. We now learn for ourselves, 
and trust little to tradition. The experiences of past 
errors warn us, and that which comes to us with all the 
pretence of a mystery about it, we gaze coolly enough 
at, however ghostly the aspect of the thing may be, and 
we question it, examine it, probe it, wonder at it, per- 
haps, and feel baffled; but we call it no mystery. 
Whatever it may appear to be for a time, but not for 
long — sooner or later we shall know it for what it is, 
and in another instance discover that our knowledge of 
the laws of natural phenomena is by no means as com- 
plete as it is desirable that it should be. 

Now, it is the laws of spirit-rapping, table-turning, 
and intercommunion, that we are at present in doubt 
about. We do not deny the possibility of all these 
three taking place, and being among the uncommon oc- 
currences of life ; but we do not go so far as to insist 
upon their existence either. The due regard we owe to 
truth — the knowledge at least that we have of the infi- 
nite mutations, and the continued new forms of matter, 
fresh combinations, and still other ultimate elements, 
science and discovery, should deter us from anything 
like dogmatism, either to assert or to deny. Spirit- 
rapping, table-turning, and magnetism exist, and do 
occur without doubt — that is to say, so called " spirit"- 
rapping. Why is it necessary that this process, so ludi- 
crous — these spirit-communications, so jejune and vague, 
so contradictory, and so destitute of the meanest logic — 



THE RAPPERS. 223 

these magnetic phenomena, and the electric affinities 
which are subject to the laws of the physical universe, 
should be attributed to supernatural interference, and 
have a supernatural origin "? They are not a whit the 
more respectable, and in the majority of instances, lessen 
the reverence that we intuitively pay to the awful voices 
of the soul, when in prayer, meditation, and in dream, 
the eternity beyond the grave discloses its grand and 
imposing portals to us. 

We term the best know^n of those forces which rule 
the material world, the laws of gravity, and so on, by the 
word physical. It may mean nothing direct, but it implies 
ail. Like the great Pan, it is the comprehension of all 
that is scientific, natural, and in accordance with all hu- 
man experience, from the days of the Deluge and on- 
wards. Chemical forces, those of light, caloric, magne- 
tism, all belong to the physical. Higher in the scale, 
and less known to the learned and the scientific, are 
those forces termed vital. Under this term, are com- 
prehended the succession of seed-time and harvest, the 
ripening summer, and the vigorous winter that cleanses, 
preserves, and purifies the ground, and gives it those 
nourishing virtues which make the great bosom of na- 
ture so benign and beneficent. To this belong decay 
and reproduction, and with it, life and death are as the 
opposite poles, of a certainly most mysterious circle of 
procession. Beyond these relations to the vital force, 
are those of the brain and nerves, the phenomena of 
will, and the muscular volition that waits subserviently 
upon it. Will but to raise the arm, or lift the leg, and 



224 I'll I': KAPPEKS. 

it is done. There are organic forces, too, quite inde- 
pendent of the will. The systole and diastole of the 
heart, the diffusion of oxygen through the blood by con- 
tact and absorption, the peristaltic motion, and the con- 
vulsive cramp of epilepsy, which is a derangement of 
the general working of these forces, are so many familiar 
illustrations. 

Because, however, these are organic, and because they 
do act and work with a miraculous accuracy, for the 
space often of " threescore years and ten," there must 
be something acting on these — heart, lungs, brain, and 
viscera — which is equivalent to the will. What is this 
supplementary power then ? What renders us liable to 
generate caloric so largely, and to become transmuted 
in abnormal instances into so many Leyden jars, so 
many gymnotic eels, unless it be that force termed by 
Reichenbach as Od, or Odyle — that is, allied to the na- 
ture of magnetic electricity, but regarding the sources, 
nature, qualities, and extent of which, the philosophers 
have not yet decided? The spirit-rappists have been 
premature in their conclusions, we think, and speaking 
of them and their theories, with all the respect we can 
muster, we would say that they had been led by their 
very vivid imaginations to step aside from the path of 
truth, unintentionally very likely, and in order to ac- 
count for what was else unintelligible, settled the doc- 
trine of spirits, spheres, and the like, and so produced 
the prolific results already seen, but which results we 
must take leave to say, are like exchanging a good 
golden sovereign for twenty of the most spurious 



THE EAPPEES. 225 

shillings that ever came from the forger's crucible — 
and hence, saddling us with all the consequences of being 
duped. 

In the spirit-spheres there is a progression through 
degrees of perfection, until the expiating spirit, gradually 
leaving aside its grosser weight of impurities, finally 
arises at the highest acme of that refulgent glory its 
starward aspirations are bent upon. There is nothing 
to quarrel with in this theory, if, as the indication very 
strongly points out, we are content to dispense with 
Scriptures, and conform to a new revelation, published 
in the United States, at the " Penny Celestial Spheres' 
Journal" office. The idea of expiation is agreeable to 
the sinner, supposing it to be tenable ground after death. 
On the other hand, we require better proofs, a larger 
amount of information than we now possess, before we 
can subscribe to it. Ignorance and fanaticism will 
always become proselytes to the most agreeable doc- 
trine — and to do away with perdition and the pandemo- 
nium of lost souls, is the first step to win their favor; 
but unfortunately, we cannot annihilate St. Paul's by 
denying its existence, or proving in the Aristotelian 
fashion, that it never was erected. 

We learn from old writers, through the pages of 
Gibbon and others, that the monks of Mount Athos had 
a singular method of throwing themselves into ecstatic 
trances, of dreaming dreams, and dwelling in the bosom 
of an hallucination that unfolded them like a glory. 
When alone in the cell, they closed the door, and seat- 
ing themselves apart, souj^ht to raise the mind above all 
^10* 



226 THE KAPPERS. 

things vain and transitory. Reclining beard and chin 
on the breast, and turning eyes and thoughts to l^e 
region of the navel, they sought there for the seat of the 
soul. At first, all was comfortless and dark ; but per- 
severance brought by degrees an ineffable joy, and no 
sooner had the soul discovered the place of the heart, 
than it was involved in a mystic and ethereal light. On 
this account, those harmless ascetics obtained the name 
of Quietists, till their idiosyncracies were scattered to 
the winds by edicts and violent hands. Anarchy dis- 
placed Ustatica, and the soul became troubled and dark. 
This mystic and ethereal light we should add, was as- 
serted, and believed to be synonymous with the lumin- 
ous transfiguration on Mount Tabor. 

The crystal, the drop of water, the fixing of the eyes 
upon an object so long that there ensued a certain tem- 
porary derangement of the nervous organs, is so evi- 
dently allied with, and the clear precursor of, animal 
magnetism, that no arguments seem necessary to prove 
the intimacy of the connection. Jamblichus, who was 
the theosophist of the Platonic doctrines, bears apt tes- 
timony to the alleged divine afflatus pervading the en- 
thusiast. 

" Man," he says, " has a double life, one annexed to the 
body, the other separate from everything bodily. * * 
* * In sleep we have the capacity of being wholly 
loosed from the chains that confine our spirit, and can 
make use of the life which is not dependent on genera- 
tion. When the soul is thus separate from the body in 
sleep, then that (latter) kind of life which usually 



THE KAPrEKS. 227 

remains separable and separate by itself, immediately 
awakes within us, and acts according to its proper nature, 
* and in that state has a presaging knowledge of 
the future." Then, omitting a distinction betw^een 
sleeping and w^aking inspiration, and coming to the 
latter, in which, also, the affiati have a presaging power, 
he proceeds: — "Yet those (latter) are so far awake that 
they can use their senses, yet are not capable of reason- 
ing; * * * for they neither (properly speaking) 
sleep when they seem to do so, nor a^wake when they 
seem awake ; for they do not of themselves foresee, nor 
are they moved by any human instrumentality ; neither 
know they their own condition ; nor do they exert any 
prerogative or motion of their own ; but all this is done 
under the power and by the energy of the deity. For 
that they who are so affected, do not live an ordinary 
animal life, is plain, because many of them, on contact 
with fire, are not burnt, the divine inward afflatus re- 
pelling the heat; or, if they be burnt, they do not feel 
it ; neither do they feel prickings, or scratchings, or 
other tortures. Further, that their actions are not 
(merely) human, is apparent from this, that they make 
their way through pathless tracts, and pass harmless 
through the fire, and pass over rivers in a w^onderful 
manner, which the priestess herself also does in the 
Cataballa. By this it is plain that the life they live, is 
not human, nor animal, nor dependent on the use of 
senses, but divine, as if the soul were taking its rest, 
and the deity were there instead of the soul. Various 
sorts there are of those so divinely inspired, as well by 



228 THE KAPPERS. 

reason of the varying divinity of the inspiring gods as of 
the modes of inspiration. These modes are of this sort, 
either the deity occupies us, or we join ourselves to the 
deity, &c. # * "^ According to these diversities? 
there are different signs, effects, and works of the in- 
spired ; thus, some will be moved in their whole bodies, 
others in particular members — others again, will be 
motionless. Also, they will perform dances and chants^ 
some well, some ill. The bodies again, of some, will 
seem to dilate in height, of others in compass ; and 
others again, will seem to walk in air." To be insensi- 
ble to pains, prickings, shakings, &;c., is to be in that 
condition so familiar to us all when a patient is seized 
with convulsions, cramp, epilepsy and the like, and the 
frenzy of inspired dancing, are as well known to the 
scholar who has read of the Corybantes, the Meenades, 
and the Bacchic rites, as to the young, who have read of 
David in a sacred furor dancing before the ark. 

Now, the spirit-rappists scorn to be outdone by the 
dancing manias of the middle, and even of later ages, 
familiar to the readers of history. Could such an im- 
portant section of spiritual, angelic, or demoniac phseno- 
mena be by any possibility omitted? As the mediums 
have made over to the spirits of the spheres, all the 
modern musical instruments in vogue, and have heard 
the ravishing concerts which are there held, it was but 
natural that those among us who were at all en rapport 
with the denizens of the spheres, should follow an exam- 
ple so worthily set in old traditions, and in the annals 
of witchcraft. 



THE BAPPEES. 229 

As " Eapping" was speedily superseded by the card 
alphabet writing, by clairvoyance, and by other forn:is 
of the spiritual presence, dancing soon followed as another 
phase of manifestations, and it was remarked that those 
affected by the spiritual impulse, illustrate the manner 
and the individuality of a deceased person so faithfully, 
that those acquainted with the departed, recognize the 
person at once. All this is very pitiful — for, admitting 
the whole to be true, from the spirit down to the 
dancer, through every grade and agency, what satisfies 
us ? what good, what benefit, present or to come, are 
we likely to obtain 1 

One locality of the States can boast of a hundred 
persons who have been thus influenced. They comprise 
persons of all ages. They must have music too, and the 
strains of Strauss or Jullien give animation to the dan- 
ces thus said to be impromptued. Is it not gratuitous, 
however, to attribute anything here to the spirits ? 
Where is the difference, we should like to know, be- 
tween the dancing of one assembly where the spirit is, 
and of another where the spirit is not ? Possibly the 
spirit-dance is known by its eccentricity, its movements 
as often graceful as ungainly. " Eccentric" is the word 
used to express the same. There were impure dances 
in pagan times, as in the early days of Christianity — so 
its vilifiers wrote it down. There was the Witch Sab- 
bath of the Brocken, where dances under baleful mas- 
tery were held. Pass to-day through some Hindoo 
jungle into the sacred space where the temple stands, 
and there they yet hold their orgiac dances. The horri- 



230 THE RAPPERS. 

ble obscenities of the New Zealand dances in their 
Morai are on record. What do they say of the low 
salles of Paris, and the cancan^ whose repute is more 
than enough — what of the casinos of London ? What 
amount of seduction is required to ally impurity with 
delusion, vice with ignorance, and the strong ruling 
hand of knowing cheatery and guile, when it has such 
plastic material to work upon as the gullibility of the 
public, as well as its heedlessness, and its insatiate appe- 
tite for novelty in any form 1 

These dances we hold then to be among the most 
equivocal portion of spiritual manifestations we know 
of. Analogies from the same cause and effect, deduc- 
tions from the same veritable premises, are never 
wrong. The very inclination to be contradictory, is 
proof of the rule, and of our assertion. We do not 
accuse these people of erecting schools for crime ; but 
why do they or their vspirits make such an easy peace 
between evil lives, and a lenient future — nay, a perfect 
" happy land" — as they do ? Is it from conviction ? 
Human hardihood, even with a knowledge of the laws 
of the Creator, can live, and has lived a life of profligacy 
and crime, has even " cursed God and died !" Are we 
to learn now that a knowledge of the moral and religi- 
ous laws hinder a man from being the high priest, the 
hierarch, the tutor and the teacher of vice 1 To the 
plausibility of the " spirit-rappists" is added a great 
deal of shallowness. We must not permit systematic 
vice to become an adjunct to immoral growth, even if 
we are premature, in being doubtful and suspicious. 



THE KAPPEKS. 231 

We must, however, return awhile, in order to examine 
as closely as possible the analogies that may exist be- 
tween the od or electro-magnetic force, and the so-called 
spiritual influences, and whether the one is not easily 
convertible into the other, the mysterious giving way to 
that, which if not thoroughly known, will not so far 
elude us, but that study, experiment, and minutest 
examination may disclose all that as yet remains 
hidden. 

It is held that the forces are visible and invisible; 
they are also voluntary and involuntary — and while the 
voluntary forces are, in a greater or less degree, under 
cognizance, the involuntary are not, and hence it is that 
their working constitutes a mystery ; the occult powers 
that influence them, belong to the phenomena of the un- 
known, and as a corollary when seeking to know their 
nature, we either give up the search, or assign it to 
" spirit-manifestations" at once, and so for ever settle 
the difficulty by a designation it does not define. We 
act rashly and illogically, thus to establish an evil pre- 
cedent which bolder theorists take advantage of, and so 
erect a cumbrous and unwieldy edifice of superstition, 
which becomes finally more confounding than the multi- 
tudinous incarnations of Vishnu, or the myriad-sided 
forms under which Hindoo mythology seeks to speak to 
man. 

Desiring, however, to obtain some insight into those 
vital forces which move tables, chairs, &c., and induce 
coma and the like, and which are so closely allied to the 
productive principle of life, we ascend to loftier grounds 



232 THE KAPPEKS. 

of inquiry, and on all sides around us the horizon en- 
larges itself. Experiment proves that the vital force 
which gives rise to a rotatory or progressive motion in an 
inert body, has some reference to the electrical condi- 
tions of the agent that acts, and the factor that transfers 
the energy from the person to the substance. There is 
in the turning of the table, an unconscious muscular ac- 
tion, without doubt, exercised. This unconscious mus- 
cular action has a tendency, like all motion gravitating 
round a centre, to be circular in its operations, such as 
we observe in the tendrils of certain plants, whose mag- 
netic affinities with light and heat, may have a common 
origin with those of the vital force referred to. We 
observe singular instances of a vital and involuntary 
force actively at work in persons who have received a 
sudden injury. Shot through the heart, a man has made 
a convulsive leap he could not otherwise have accom- 
plished. Animals struck at the region of the brain, have 
spun round and round. The paroxysms of insanity, 
while being perfectly involuntary, indicate an accession 
of the vital force equivalent to that possessed by four or 
six robust men in a normal state of physical health. Is 
it to be wondered that under a condition (nervously) 
familiar to us, the energy of this power, as in the battery 
of animated hands laid on the table, should exhibit 
latent forces and unknown powers never before dreamed 
of, and flow in a plenteous magnetic current through the 
fingers, and that four or six persons, whose united 
strength, voluntarily exercised, would not have sufficed 
to move a table, should yet m voluntarily compel it to 



THE RAPPEES. 233 

whirl, and to move onwards^ as though it were a toy ivi 
a child's hand 1 

It is to the delicate experiments and to the persever- 
ing course of observations undertaken by Reichenbach, 
that we are chiefly indebted for having thrown some 
light on the subject, by his theory of the Od force. It 
is to this theory of a resistless current — an invisible, but 
extraordinary agency, which is not electricity, nor mag- 
netism, but which partakes more of the character of the 
latter than of the former — that we may assign the ori- 
gin of the involuntary and " vital" forces which have 
puzzled more than the " spirit-rappists' themselves. 
Who would suppose that in experiments made upon 
the magnetic currents of the muscles, this (Od) agent, 
while playing among the rain-drops of a summer's day, 
can shake the earth and the very heavens ?" Whoever 
imagines that because Reichenbach was not capable of 
such mastery over his discovery, as that of showing his 
" Od" capable of making a table dance, it is not after 
all the said Od that does it ? It is not always clear that 
analogy and fact are seen in all their integrity and 
value. Odic smoke or ether, can be made to play lu- 
minously on the surface of bodies, but he must be a bad 
arguer, and know little of the theory of atoms and the 
porosity of the most concrete substances, that will assert 
this ether to be incapable of mingling with matter and 
thoroughly permeating it. Trivial discrepancies can 
only modify to superficial eyes the fundamental facts, 
just as exceptions prove a rule. If we have at the least 
got a clue to natural phenomena that may dispense 



234 THE EAPPEK8. 

with spiritual agency, let us make the best of that as 
more consonant with reason. The palpable may glide 
into the impalpable by such gradations as have no dis- 
cernible line of demarcation ; but they are connected 
and related, as the brain to the brawn, the will to the 
deed, the soul to the body. 

The literature of spirit-rapping, table-moving, and the 
like, is not the least curious part of the matter under 
debate. While it appears steadily to ignore mere vul- 
gar matter, so many corroborative, as well as correla- 
tive ties of relationship peep out now and then, as clearly 
show a lack of decision, and a latitude of allowance. 
The very fact that spirits meddle in what we may term 
the hucksterings of our physical tax-paying, bread- 
earning existence, shows some such contact with the 
material that is, to say the least of it, suspicious, and 
calculated to throw doubts upon the intact impalpability 
spirits may lay claim to. 

In closing this chapter, we cannot, we think, do better 
than to give our readers a specimen of this strange 
literature, and of the logic of the " spirit-world." The 
work " Light from the Spirit- world," (of course, of 
American origin, to " go a-head," after the most consis- 
tent fashion,) is asserted to be written without the exer- 
cise of will or volition of any kind. The medium did 
no more than submit himself to the affiatus^ or the influ- 
ence of the spirit he was in communication with. The 
hand was surrendered to the spirits, the will was sus- 
pended, and the medium became an automaton for the 
time. It is professed to have been published without 



THE RAPPEES. 235 

alteration or correction of any kind. This we will im- 
plicitly credit; for the following specimen of spirit- 
eloquence satisfies us that in many respects, especially 
those of composition, meaning, and grammar, the mortal 
is immeasurably superior to his shadowy kindred in the 
spheres. Here, then, is a luminous exposition of the 
spiritual idea of wisdom, the premises, argument, and 
corollary of which we should be very glad to see con- 
travened, if there exist one daring enough to venture on 
the desperate attempt of challenging a spirit on his own 
ground : 

^ " Wisdom is wisdom. All is not wisdom. All is 
not folly. Wisdom wills good. Folly wills otherwise. 
One is right. One is wrong. Wisdom will do right. 
Folly will do wrong. He that is wise, let him take 
heed. He who is unwise, let him get wisdom. And let 
him get it where it is to be found. Let him not seek for 
it in the folly of fools, but in men of understanding — in 
spirits commissioned by God, to give light to those who 
grope in darkness. Let him cast off the shackles, tear 
asunder the false robes, rend the galling chains, and 
burst the bonds that enslave his captive soul. Let him 
launch his mind into the stream of wisdom flowing from 
the fountain of God, and bathe in the limpid waters, that 
he may be healed. 

"Wisdom is not selfish. Wisdom is not partial. 
Human wisdom is both. Men are considered wise, but 
their wisdom is comparatively foolishness. Men are wise 
only as they gain knowledge. Men are unwise when 
they neglect what they need to make them wise. Men 



236 THE RAPPERS. 

are wise when they do good — unwise when they do evil. 
Men are wise in what they know — unwise in what they 
do not know. Knowledge of God is wisdom. Knowl- 
edge is power. Knowledge is good. Knowledge will 
save. Knowledge will cure. Knowledge will do what 
ignorance cannot do. Hence knowledge of God, is the 
wisdom of God, the power of God, and the goodness of 
God. Neither could wisdom exist without God." — 
Light from the Spirit-world^ pp. 39, 40. 

The names of Paine, the truculent, Calvin, the uncom- 
promising, Edgar Poe, the poet, whose genius was so 
brilliantly erratic, and whose great talents were ob- 
scured, alas ! by degrading vices, of Washington, of 
Franklin, of Adam Clarke, and of others, occur plenti- 
fully as dictating dispatches from the spirit-world. A 
strong current of worldly wisdom and the craft of 
the earthly wise, run through them. They savor of 
self-interest, and are as transparent as the Visions of Ma- 
homet, who in trance beheld what he wanted ordered for 
him by the fiat of Gabriel, or any other handy deus ex 
machind — or precisely in the same manner that the 
Mormon leaders have the nous to assign for their own 
uses, through prophetic revelation, the choicest goods of 
the community, the high places of life, and all the ad- 
vantages that can accrue to cunning, when it has elabo- 
rated itself into a system, and asserts mastery over 
blind belief, ignorance and error. 

One more extract from these spirit-metaphysics, and 
we enter upon another part of the subject. The '' Mind'* 
is the theme thus loftily descanted upon : 



THE RAPPERS. 237 

The noble powers of mind, how much debased to 
the production of thought bemeaning to its purposed 
dignity ! 

" Mind, the quickening principle of which originates 
in God, and is designed to range the majestic universe, 
to gather strength from every dropping sand within its 
sphere — from the contemplation of every moving atom 
in the vastness of unmeasured space — from the animat- 
ing principle of every living thing — from the lote and 
moUusca, through the ascending degree of higher life 
and expanding intellectually, to the flaming seraph who 
attends the Creator at his throne — in man is wounded 
by the deadly and demoralizing nature of sin against 
goodness, and is thus prevented its lofty ascent ; and, 
being impelled in pursuit of fancy pearl by the motive 
force of evil, is rendered a penal slave to vice, preju- 
dice, and vain ambitious life. Hence, from its secret 
chambers is poured forth a chaotic mass of garbled vin- 
dictive imprecations, terminating in oppressions, ambi- 
tious cruelties, and the catalogue indicative of a mind in 
perfect wreck, driven and dashed against the fatal rocks 
that rend in sunder the noble form and despoil the gar- 
nished soul of the human body. 

" Mind, designed to harmonize in its own movements, 
and in ascension wing its way through portals of wis- 
dom, bearing along by attraction the weaker elements 
around, is crushed and welters in gore at the base of 
the mountain of sin, and tending to the dark abyss, 
drags with it that embraced by the power of its influ- 



THE RAPPERS. 

Do you not admire all this, good reader ? Are you 
quite insensible to the taste, the propriety, the prose- 
poetry of these ambitious sentences'? It must have 
been a love of hard words and sounding syllables alone 
that could not content itself with simple expressions, 
conveying a simple meaning. But what would you ? 
If spirits do speak or dictate, we cannot expect them to 
indite, or otherwise act like your mere mortal. What, 
in that case, would their superiority consist in ? 



THE BAPPEKS. 239 



CHAPTER VII. 

ANCIENT RAPPERS, TABLE-TIPPERS, AND SPEAKING 

MEDIUMS. ^" 

In this chapter we shall give the reader a peep into the 
antiquity of Spiritual Rappers. By " Rappers," we 
mean of course, every phase of modern spiritualism, 
such as rapping, tipping, and speaking under entrance- 
ment. 

In ancient Greece, centuries on centuries ago, there 
was a magnificent temple at Delphi, built over the sa- 
cred well of Cassotis, which was supposed to emit an 
entrancing vapor, which inspired those who inhaled it, 
with prophetic inspiration. In the centre of this temple 
was a golden statue of Apollo, before which was an altar 
on which there always burned a fire of firwood and lau- 
rel leaves. Before the altar was the sacred well, and 
over the well was a tripod. This temple, with its statue, 
its sacred well, its altar and its tripod, was the seat of 
the most famous oracle of Greece. The priestess of the 
oracle, when the same was consulted, crowned her head 
with laurel, seated herself on the tripod, inhaled the va- 
por from the sacred well, and was seized at once with a 
fit, as modern spiritualists would call it, of entran ce- 
ment. Her face changed color, her limbs were violently 



240 th:e rappees. 

convulsed, and with bowlings and disjointed sentences, 
she spoke the oracle, gave to those, who asked, an answer 
to their inquiries, which was received by them as a voice 
from another world. In other words, she was, in the 
language of modern spiritualists, a speaking medium, 
through which immortals were supposed to communicate 
to mortals. This is the oldest form, by way of entrance- 
ment, of modern Spirit Rapping. 

Next comes a voice from the middle of the third cen- 
tury, about A. D. 250. Tertullian, one of the fathers 
of the church, who wrote about this period, says : 

" Do not your magicians call ghosts and departed 
souls from the shades below, and by their infernal 
charms, represent an infinite number of delusions ? And 
how do they perform all this, but by the assistance of 
evil angels and demons, by which they are able to 

MAKE STOOLS AND TABLES PROPHESY ?" 

This is the first mention made of table-tipping. 

The next, in order of time, is a table-turning develop- 
ment, the date of the occurrence of which is about A. D. 
360. At the time we refer to, Valens was Emperor of 
Rome, and he consulted two soothsayers, as they were 
then called. In the centre of the room where the con- 
sultation took place, there stood a three-legged table, 
made of laurel- wood. The table was covered with a 
cloth, on the edge of which the letters of the alphabet 
were marked, and over the centre of the table a metallic 
ring was suspended. Two men named Patricius and 
Hillarius, officiated on the occasion. Valens asked who 
would be the next emperor. The table tipped, th^ ring 



THE EAPPERS. 24J 

vibrated, and the letters over which the ring rested the 
longest, vrere spelt out, as T. H. E. O. D. Valens left 
the circle and put every one in his dominions to death, 
whom he could find, whose name began with T.H. E. 
O. T>. Theodosius, however, was the next emperor who 
ascended the throne. This is the only account of table- 
tipping which w^e can find, and it is recorded in the JRe- 
rum Gestarum of Ammianus Marcel] inus, page 552, 
Paris edition. 1681. 

Next follows, in point of time, a rapping development. 
Rushton Hall, in Northamptonshire, England, was long 
the residence of a family by the name of Tresham. In 
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Tresham oc- 
cupied the mansion. He ^vas a pedant and fanatic. At 
a short distance from the old Hall, there was a lodge, 
built by Sir Thomas, the walls of \vhich within and with- 
out, were covered all over with emblems of the Trinity. 
He took this pictorial mode to illustrate his firm belief 
in the Trinity. About twenty years ago, there was 
found secreted in a wall of this old mansion, in North- 
amptonshire, a letter, written by Sir Thomas Tresham, 
and dated A. D. 1554, from which we make the follow- 
ing extract . 

" I usually having my servants to read to me an hour 
after supper, it fortuned that Fulcis, my then servant, 
reading in the Christian Revelation and Proof that there 
is a God, there was upon the wainscot table, at that 
instant, three loud knocks (as if it had been an iron 
hammer) given, to the great amazing of me and my two 
servants, Fulcis and Nilkton." 
11 



24:2 THE KAPPERS. 

This first account of rapping is, as the reader per- 
ceives, of the date 1554, three hundred years ago. 

The following is of a few years' later date, about the 
beginning of the 17th century. It is related by Richard 
Baxter, in his "Historical Discourses of Apparitions," 
as quoted by De Foe, in his " Life of Duncan Camp- 
bell" (p. 109). The date of this occurrence, was about 
the middle of the 16th century. "There is now in 
London an understanding, sober, pious man, oft one of 
my hearers, who has an elder brother, a gentleman of 
considerable rank, who having formerly seemed pious, 
of late years does often fall into the sin of drunkenness ; 
he often lodges long together here in his brother's house, 
and whensoever he is drunk and has slept himself sober, 
something knocks at his bed's head, as if one knocked on 
a wainscot. When they remove his bed, it follows him. 
Besides other loud noises on other parts where he is, 
that all the house hears, they have often watched him, 
and kept his hands lest he should do it himself. His 
brother has often told it to me, and brought his wife, a 
discreet woman, to attest it, who avers moreover, that 
as she watched him, she has seen his shoes under the 
bed taken up, and nothing visible to touch them. They 
brought the man himself to me, and when we asked him 
how he dare sin again after such a warning, he had no 
excuse." 

We come now to another rapping development, of a 
still later date. 

The celebrated John Wesley's family, it is notorious, 
was for a considerable time, subject to strange annoy an- 



THE EAPPERS. 243 

ces, somewhat like the sounds and rappings characteris- 
tic of the modern mystery. So serious did the great 
founder of Wesleyanism deem the manifestation, that 
he took up his pen to relate all he knew about them. 
The history of these noises is very briefly as follows : — 
In 1715, when John Wesley's father, the Rev. S. Wes- 
ley, resided in the glebe house of Ep worth, in Lincoln- 
shire, sundry curious noises were repeatedly heard by 
several members of the family, who carefully concealed 
the matter from old Wesley, lest he might think, as 
they thought, that these were forewarnings of his ap- 
proaching death. This course could not be long con- 
tinued, as the disturbances became daily greater, and 
more inclined to make the head of the house hear. 
When he did, he was rather amused than alarmed ; for 
he considered certain young gentlemen, who were atten- 
tive to his daughters by day, meant to compliment them 
in that curious manner by night. The daughters, who 
felt persuaded that this was too pleasing a key to the 
puzzle, rather encouraged the good man's notion than 
disabused it. Once, however, it occurred that, after he 
went to bed, a singular tapping in the next room induc- 
ed him to leap up and discover its cause ; but neither 
then nor afterwards did he find any clue to the noise. 

The children, who were at first a little, and by de- 
grees not at all afraid, had a very decided belief that 
the noise was occasioned by an old man called Jeffery, 
who died in the house ; and they were accustomed to cry, 
when the tappings were heard, " Here comes Jeflfery," 
observing, "He is early" or " late to-night," as the case 



244 THE KAPPER8. 

may be. It was not for a long time easy to convince 
the elder members of the family that the noise was not 
occasioned by some ingenious trick of the younger. In 
order to be quite certain, Mary, the eldest daughter, 
contrived to remain up once, instead of a younger sister, 
to remove her father's candle when he had gone to bed. 
John Wesley fully relates his sister's adventure : — She 
had no sooner taken away the candle, than she heard a 
noise below. She hastened down stairs to where the 
noise was, but it was then in the kitchen. She ran into 
the kitchen, where it was tapping the inside of the screen. 
When she went round, it was drumming on the outside ; 
then she heard a knocking at the back kitchen door. 
She ran to it, unlocked it softly, and when the knocking 
was repeated, suddenly opened it ; but nothing was to 
be seen. As soon as she shut it, the knocking began 
again. She opened it again, but could see nothing ; 
when she turned to go to bed, the knocking recommenced 
and continued. " From that time," writes her brother, 
" she was thoroughly convinced there was no imposture 
in the matter." 

As we have said, the family got quite accustomed to, 
and lost all terror in the disturbances. John Wesley, 
in telling us so, adds : — " A gentle tapping at the chil- 
dren's bed-head, usually began between nine and ten at 
night ; they then commonly said to each other, ' JefFery 
is coming ; it is time to go asleep.' And if they heard 
a noise in the day, and said to my younger sister, 
' Hark, Kizzy, JefFery is knocking above,' she would run 



THE RAPPERS. 245 

up stairs, and pursue it from room to room, saying she 
desired no better diversion." 

We might go on multiplying instances of the above 
kind occurring about the same time, but we stop here, on 
the boundary which divides ancient from modern en- 
trancement, table-tipping and rapping. 



246 THE KAPPERS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

DBMONOLOGY, WITCHCRAFT, AND SPIRIT RAPPING, TIP- 
PING, AND ENTRANCEMENT. 

Old mythology has not removed the spirit-world 
very far from that of the real, even in what may be 
spoken of in the abstract as a measurable distance. 
Like the necropolis, where the dead slumber, and the 
weary are at rest, it is but as without the city walls, 
and in many a Mirza-vision the rapt and dreamy spirit- 
ualist of old would go forth in the cool of the evening, 
and, under the watching stars, by wild incantation cast 
the sombre pall aside, and gaze with an awful gladness 
into the mysteries of a life for which he was preparing 
himself by fast and vigils, by unbridled imagination, 
and by potent spell. Would not the " spirit" theory in 
ages of mysticism and symbol, when the sciences were 
accidents, and the half of the common, of a supernatural 
cast, strike the vulgar ; would not its inventor impress 
the seal of his spirit on the age, and make his doctrine 
work anything he pleased in the way of conversion and 
of persuasion 1 Could he not lead the multitude as he 
pleased? What are the names of Zoroaster, of Pytha- 
goras, of Plato, Zeno, Epicurus, and the rest, but indi« 



THE RAPPERS. 247 

cations of such teachings? Their immortality is the 
symbol of creeds that ruled thousands in their age, and 
ere, and long after. Could but the priestly lore of 
Egypt be deciphered now, we should see in the names 
of their theosophists those who formed her first creeds, 
and blended on one stock the stupendous in grace and 
grandeur, with the lowest and most debased forms of 
belief in the invisible, through symbol and through 
sign. 

Crude at first, these ideas became polished, perfect 
agencies; a genealogy of gods once established, the 
qualities of life, motion, and matter, rendered imperson- 
ation necessary, — hence, gods, demigods, messengers, 
attributes, life in the air, earth, sea, and fire, life iu the 
stem and the leaf, the grass, and descending dews. 
Poetry awoke and consecrated ail with a tenderness, 
grace, and beauty, that recommended the system in 
various modes to all the human race. 

Creating thus a future home, an Elysian garden, " a 
dwelling not made with hands," where the souls of 
heroes and good men were to dwell, and which the 
wicked, after long expiation, might attain, it was neces- 
sary that messengers, interpreters, and ministering 
angels should stand between man and Hades, and so 
expound to his tumultuous and thirsty mind what and 
who, and in what manner spirits dwell there. So arose 
the priest, the hierophant, the possessed, the magician, 
the wizard, sorcerer, and the long train of good and bad 
agencies, that have since filled the world with wonder 
and with a:^\'e. 



248 THE KAPPERS. 

It was not till after the advent of the Saviour that 
religion, grafted on paganism, took, with depraved and 
vulgar minds, those awful and harrowing depths of woe 
and despair which characterized the ages after the 
church was established. Tartarus and its fiery lakes 
surrendered to the penal Hell, to the " second death" 
of Irenaeus, and to the expiatory pains of purgatory. 
Then, indeed, did the shadows of darkness fall on the 
moral world. The beautiful and benign system of 
atonement, as taught by the Scriptures, was hidden and 
encumbered by dread and terror. The gospel of love, 
preached but to a few, and not comprehended even by 
those, gave place to a gospel of terror, and to the dread 
anathemas of a church that sacrificed its divine kingdom 
to splendors and to dominancy over this. The haunted 
precincts of existence poured and vomited forth spec- 
tres and horrors, wraiths, demons, ghouls, and vampires. 
To play with the passions of the people was not difficult. 
Blue fires, subterranean, as also superterranean noises, 
ghastly midnight visitants, were easily worked. The 
little science that was known was enlisted by the crafty 
in this reign of terror, where they were potential, and 
panic became a moral chronic among men. For every 
thing that was grisly and appalling, the Witch of Endor 
served as a text. Sorcery had been forbidden by a 
king whose life was one long struggle with insane pas- 
sions. Violent and haughty, he had disobeyed the com- 
mands of the Most High, and the hour of retribution 
was at hand. His Nemesis was stalking noiselessly 
behind him, out of sight, but she was already grasping 



THE RAPPERS. 249 

at the royal fillet. To his palace gates rose the mur- 
mur of advancing foes : around him were cries of 
mutiny ; and the horizon of his hopes grew dark, and 
dread, and hopeless, so that his bold soul shrank with a 
deadly and ominous fear. No longer came the warning 
dream, the voice of Urim in reply to prayer. The 
warnings of the prophets had been neglected, and, 
shrouded in gloom and despair, he sought the dwelling 
of the creature whose lips he had sealed with a sign, 
whose arts he had suspended by a word. In disguise 
he commands her to foretell to him his future. He is 
reminded of the king's edict, but in the tone of a king 
(which she could not mistake) he bids her fear nothing, 
and assures her of protection. The form and bearing 
of him who stood colossal in the tents of Israel might, 
if nothing else, have taught her who the visitant was. 
The hag begins ; affects to behold spirits ascending, and 
is ordered to call up the spirit of Samuel. After cries 
of terror, she describes him as an old man enveloped in 
• a mantle, which to Saul's excited imagination, became 
identical with Samuel. It was easy to predict the fate 
of one so beset and so crushed by misfortunes. Com- 
mon rumor might tell the witch the few chances in his 
favor, the certain reverses gathering against him. In his 
great anguish and despair the monarch-soldier laments 
that God has forsaken him, and she confirms this despair 
by her sentence. Like a lion at bay she turns him in 
the battle. He beholds his army beaten, his sons slain, 
and, disdaining to be taken captive, falls on his own 
11* 



250 THE KAPPERS. 

sword, and dies, as long after it was the " high Roman 
fashion" to die. 

Sorcery, witchcraft, magic, divination, and the rest, 
became, on such authority as this, the great manias of 
the middle ages. What was grand in Greek and other 
antique mythology became hideous here. Nemesis 
pursuing crime ; the Eumenides lashing with remorse 
and terror the wicked and the doomed, the fatal sisters 
presiding over birth, and destiny, and death, have some- 
thing grand about them, something suggestive in their 
separate spheres of action : but in the witch sabbaths, 
and demon revels, ghostly hauntings, and other church- 
yard horrors of succeeding ages, nothing but the lowest 
elements of the horrible are perceptible. 

In reading of these delusions of the past, by which 
the structure of society was shaken to its basis, civiliza- 
tion retarded and otherwise fatally injured, and the 
whole business of life paralyzed, we cannot help being 
struck with the occasional developments of insanity that 
occurred on such scales of magnitude, and so repeatedly. 
Free as we are from any such tendencies at the present 
day — though spirit manifestations did indeed threaten 
a revolution of the popular mind, — it seems one of the 
marvels of the impossible, that thousands of persons — 
no rank, no condition, no age or sex, excepted — should 
seize a belief, a mania like the plague, and act and argue, 
as if they were in the literal bonds of the Evil One. 
The stories told would be all very well as the ingenious 
exercises of a fantastic mind, but these traditions of 
diablerie handed down, are incontrovertible truths, and 



THE KAPPEKS. 251 

cannot but impress us with a pity for the imbecility of 
human intellect at different stages, whatever we may 
say of its powers in other respects. 

Periodical insanity on a gigantic scale there undoubt- 
edly was, and wisdom and eld left aside duty and labor 
to follow the hysterical troop that, dancing, and some- 
times naked, went like frantic Corybantes through the 
streets of European capitals. In hysterical catalepsy, 
they were borne off to wizard heights, 

" With birch and with broom, 
Over stick, over stone ;" 

where Pandemonium had sent a deputation to meet 
them, and where they held their dreadful orgies. This 
was the active development of those delusions. Melan- 
choly madness, dementia, asceticism, fanaticism, the 
scourge, fasting, exacerbation, and the rest, completed 
it, and exhibited its passive phase. We have nothing 
that we know of, in the shape of treatise or discourse 
written at those periods, that serves to cast a judicial or 
clinical light on the matter. A verbose record of the 
events is al], and these are many, for the manias are 
many. Their name was legion. In one instance thou- 
sands of children went wandering through the country, 
and died in groups. In another, crowds of men went 
lashing and scourging themselves through the public 
streets. These anarchies were composed of indecency, 
obscenity, blasphemy, and disease, such as M^e have no 
other parallels on record for ; unless, indeed, the Scrip- 
tures may supply us with circumstances approximating 



252 THE KAPPEES. 

— the worshipping of Moloch, leprosy, demoniacal pos- 
session, and so forth. 

One reason why such a mania, when it occurred, 
grew apace so rapidly, and infected such numbers, was, 
doubtless, the ignorance that existed as regarded mental 
pathology, and the consequent lack of asylums and 
mad-houses, where the mischief might have been 
checked ere it grew to a head. There was no want of 
room. Convent and cloister, monastery and cathedral 
appendages, would have suffered for the temporary 
hospital. There was no want of men and women good 
and zealous, as human nature has ever shown in times 
of great requirement, but there was a total lack of the 
physician to watch the diagnostics of the disease. There 
was a lack, perhaps, in the therapeutics of the day, 
though few drugs or mandragora would have been 
required. The frenzy had its way. Time and intelli- 
gence alone could cure it. The lazar-houses held their 
share, the barren wastes theirs. The tomb covers all 
now, and only the memory (a sad and mournful one 
enough) remains to mark the events that passed by like 
a convulsion, and carried its victims off with it. 

The apparition and the phantom were other crude 
deposits of these monstrous things. We have some- 
thing like a knowledge that only a thin tenebrous veil 
lies between us and that solemn land, where each spectre 
takes its solitary way to grief or glory. But this veil, 
like that of Isis, has never been lifted up. At times — 
for we cannot deny nor assert the possibility — at times, 
we repeat, dusky visages, shadows of shapes, glaring 



THE RAPPEES. 263 

forms, may come to the other side of the veil, and so 
far make themselves palpable to us — so far even as to 
touch with a breath — to startle with a sigh, to condense 
that essence to the sense of touch, or to what is to the 
imagination its equivalent ; and thus to give us all the 
impress and all the awe of a communion near or distant 
with the spirits of those who dwell beyond ' the portal,' 
where we should have thought no cares, instincts, and 
ties of this life would have entered, but have been left 
behind, like the Christian's burden, at the foot of the 
Cross. 

Palingenesey, or the reproduction of the original to 
infinity, from its ashes, if not the real groundwork of 
the theory of apparitions, at least gave it consecutive- 
ness, force, and the direct influence of collateral evi- 
dence. One portion of these theories, too, was to insist 
upon a kind of material soul, which, by some inherent 
attraction, still lingered in the mundane sphere, and, by 
the force of an attraction which is a part of the mys- 
terious whole, was still drawn towards those it loved 
and dwelt with upon earth ; and, if nothing more, gave 
signs of its existence, its anxiety and interest in their 
welfare. 

Lavater, at a later time, and with him Mesmer, so 
we take it, gave to the strength of the imagination a 
controlling magnetic force, by which it was capable, at 
any distance, of impressing and influencing the like 
emotions in other individuals. This idea has been 
expanded by the founder of the Odylic theory, until it 
has become one of the logical weapons in the hands of 



254 THE RAPPERS. 

the magnetist, and maiiifestorj or medium. On the 
other hand, science has treated apparitions with a lofty 
sort of scorn, and, by creating for itself an hypothesis, 
has talked learnedly of latent impression, of optical de- 
lusion, of the retina of reflection, refraction — what not 1 
In this respect, however, science has done good service. 
It has prevented us from rushing into delusion head- 
long. Has it done a corresponding evil, that of making 
men rush into the extreme of doubt and skepticism 1 
We doubt. 

Lenses, concave mirrors, the forming of phantoms in the 
air by some simulacra cast from a reflecting body, might 
do much to move wonder and excite the mind. The repe- 
tition of these weakened the results ; for they required a 
kind of animation, and the figures of colossal gods ever so 
grand and august, if they move not, speak not, thun- 
der not, become like the productions of the chisel, mighty 
and supernal sculptures, awakening admiration at their 
beauty and proportion. The supernatural dies away. 

But fiery lights, corruscations, figures in motion, re- 
vive what was decaying. The conjuror must learn more 
to be perfect. Yet more revelations of the spirit-land 
mast be granted, ere man will totally be subjected. 
The fable of the Dioscuri is one that we cannot but ad- 
mire for its several striking graces ; but if we attempt 
to account for their appearance in the capitol, or at the 
great battle, striking and strident, by the theory of opti- 
cal delusion, practised by some sageflamen, all that we 
have gained in the impress of the sublime and the awful, 
perishes under the arid mathematics of light and shadow, 



THE KAPPKRS. 255 

and we are once more of the earth — earthy. On the 
contrary, if the spiritual vision cannot be argued away, 
what an increase is there to the faith that only wanted 
the slightest confirmation to carry its belief to any ex- 
tent ! 

To reduce this to theory — to bring it within the bounds 
of probability — let us imagine the following : 

A son mourning for a beloved parent — or a husband 
sorrowing in a sobbing anguish for the wife of his bo- 
som — or a father, in love and awe, in the unspeaking 
pains of separation from that bud of promise, that apple 
of the eye which is now growing in the garden of God, 
shall in lonely meditation dwell upon that face and form, 
which now no more, were dearer to him than all the 
world beside. 

Surrounded by the silence of his room, while the cool 
twilight of a summer bathes his brow, he gazes abstract- 
edly through the opened window at the coming stars 
flooding the azure floor of heaven ; pressed by thick 
coming fancies, he surrenders himself to those memo- 
ries so dear— hears one by one the tones wake, the 
sweet voice flow, the oral music loosed — sees (in fancy) 
hair wave, eyes flash, and smiles dimpling the cheek. 
The parent is lost in dream-land, seeking for his child 
beloved, and with a consciousness that it is near him, 
but that he is also nearer to earth, he casts himself with 
all the force of a will becoming entranced, into the 
search his soul is now, w'ith every effort, making. And 
dear remembrances, tiny embraces, fond caresses, such 
as pass between child and parent, come with a redoubled 



256 THE EAPPEKS. 

reality to him. The scene changes : light is broader. 
The sun shines on that fair forehead: the child is at 
play ; it laughs, it touches bis knees ! 

What, all at once, makes the man start, turn pale, 
gaze with all his soul into space, and experience an awe, 
half terror, half love, as the nerves thrill and the hair 
creeps ? Tears are in his -eyes, palpitation is at his 
heart, and the globus hystericus well nigh chokes him. 
He has seen his dead darling ! He has heard that soft, 
soft voice again. The tiny hand has touched him ! 

Such may be the rationale of a spirit visit, which 
taking other coincidences of time into consideration, no 
argument, or any usual means of conviction adopted, 
will ever persuade me to the contrary. The paradox is 
too, that the same individual may reject the ghost-theory 
in the main, and this proves not only the whole diffi- 
culty of ever adjusting the matter while in uncertainty 
he wavers between two opinions. It is only necessary 
that the medium, with his " manifestations," should step 
in, and make of him a conquest to his faith for ever. 

During partial darkness, the eye assumes certain im- 
pressionable conditions. In order to pierce the gloom, 
and to collect whatever amount of feeble light there is, 
the pupil undergoes an expansion to the whole width of 
the iris, and it is shown that in this state the pupil fails 
to accommodate itself to the clear perception of any ob- 
ject at hand ; consequently, shapes and forms at a dis- 
tance, become vague and confused ; at that distance, we 
calculate, we can best behold them. In this state, the 
eye is favorable to the production of any kind of opti- 



THE KAPPETiS. 257 

cal delusion, and in this state too, the imagination is 
most easily excited. Now, these spectral forms assume 
a white or greyish hue, as no actual color can be decid- 
edly pronounced upon, and those objects which most 
reflect the little amount of corpuscular rays in the cham- 
ber, or which maybe projected from aluminous ground, 
or by anything animate that may actually, or by reflec- 
tion, pass across the surface of this ground, also assume 
that spectral aspect which it is the province of the illu- 
sion to produce. The eye, strained to the utmost, dis- 
cerning an inanimate object whose different projections 
reflect light in different degrees, is enabled to obtain a 
more sustained and collected view ; but a constant evan- 
escence, and a constant recurrence also take place, and 
the necessary change of outline following hard on this, 
will give it the semblance of a living or moving form. 
Meanwhile, it depends upon the coolness and courage of 
the spectator to advance and dispel the illusion, or, 
seized with a nameless fear, to transform it into an ap- 
parition, and invest it with the features of the well- 
known form of some one, living or dead, who dwells 
most dominant in the spectator's mind. This eluding 
and again consubstantiating form or shape, traced in 
such a twilight, would take such a gliding motion as is 
usually attributed to ghosts ; and though there may be 
no actual movement from the spot, there is so much 
that is like it, as to render the delusive phantasy per- 
fect. 

Thus, then, those inclined to superstition, or who are 
under the influence of dread, receive such confirmation 



268 THE EAPPEKS. 

of their fears, as to create grounds for an authenticated 
ghost-story ; and add to this the known integrity of the 
narrator, when he gives his assurance that such a visita- 
tion or manifestation has been made him, that he must 
be skeptical indeed who will not go far to give implicit 
credence to the wildest and most wondrous tale. 

The apparitions of Nicolai, the German bookseller, 
are too familiar to need more than a reference to, being 
illustrations of the case in point, and evidently the re- 
sult of optical delusion, arising from the disordered 
state of the nervous system, and a consequent derange- 
ment in the faculty of sight. Other very singular exam- 
ples too, may be found in Sir David Brewster's work 
on " Natural Magic." 

Those who would argue the probabilities of a writing- 
medium from some such event as the hand-writing on Bel- 
shazzar's palace walls, and point out to the unknown na- 
ture of the characters as a coincidence carrying proof, do 
not hesitate to prove " possession," and from the authori- 
ty given in the narrative respecting the demons of the 
Gadarene swine. But such persons argue on grounds 
that assume more than we grant to them, for the 
plain reason that all relative conditions between man 
and his Maker are so far changed as to render such 
manifestations unnecessary and unmeaning. The writing 
on the wall, and the possessed by Legion, the demons 
and the swine, were all necessary, and had a meaning, 
neither of which it is our place or inclination to explain 
or reason upon. 



THE EAPPEKS. 269 



CHAPTER IX. 



RAPPERS. 



So far, in this, our second book of the " Rappers," we 
have given principally the theories and reflections of 
others, in explanation of these phenomena which we are 
contemplating. We have pursued this course, because 
we wished to place the whole subject completely before 
the reader, in all the light of elucidation which has been 
thrown upon it from any source. We shall now pro- 
ceed to speak wholly for ourself. 

In the two preceding chapters we have traced the an- 
cient history of "Rapping," and run briefly over the 
whole ground of ancient demonology, entrancement, and 
witchcraft. We have done this simply because we con- 
sider *' modern spiritualism," as it is called, but a grand 
sublimation, and reducing into something like form, all 
the phenomena of ancient oracles, raps, tips, demon- 
ology, divine ecstacy, &c. All the instances of ancient 
rapping, tipping, &c., which w'e have cited are those 
wherein no trick is discoverable.^ or at least proved, and 
have remained, since their occurrence, misty and indefi- 
nite, with nothing on their face but the allegation that 
they were intelligences from another world. These 



260 . THE EAPPERS. 

ancient rappings, which have been paralleled by modern 
ones, have been taken up by the enterprise and ingenu- 
ity of the nineteenth century, and made to come out of 
the mist of indefiniteness, have had a form and a lan- 
guage given to them, and a religion, or, rather, a theory 
of miscalled religion, built upon them. It was a low 
and vulgar form of alleged spiritual agency to render 
definite, and on which to build another temple of faith 
to supersede that temple of Jesus Christ, in which no 
tables tip and no raps are heard, in order to open a 
communication between spirits and mortals. But mod- 
ern spiritualists have chosen these low alleged spirit rap- 
pings for their superstructure, and by them they must 
be judged. To the United States belongs the credit, if 
credit it is, of first reducing, into form ancient rappings, 
giving them a regular language, with all the adjuncts of 
reading, writing, and arithmetic, and building on them, 
as we said before, a new religious structure. 

The first case of a " rapping" nature, of any great 
notoriety, which we hear of in the United States, occur- 
red at Penobscot, Maine, and a Mr. Dods, (not the 
author whom we have before mentioned in this volume, 
but a merchant of the above town) was the "medium." 
The first intimations which Mr. Dods received of the 
honor intended for him, were conveyed by rappings in 
the wall, now here, now there — evidently not one second 
in the same spot. Although he — especially at first — 
deemed these noises very strange and very mysterious, 
their frequency deprived them of their greatest terror, 
and gradually reconciled the Dods' family to their deter- 



THE KAPPERS. 261 

mined continuance. Perhaps displeased at the growing 
indifference which the Dods displayed towards the 
" rappings," the unseen agency was driven to exhibit the 
presence of greater power. At all events, Mr. Dods 
had reason to think so. One evening, after having trans- 
acted some mercantile affairs in town, he was returning 
home " as sober as a judge," when he beheld the school- 
room which was near his home brilliantly illuminated, 
and, to all appearance, the scene of great festivity. 
Amazed that any proceedings, on so grand a scale as 
the aspect of the school-room denoted, could have been 
contemplated, much less going on, without his know- 
ledge, he hastened to the spot, and all became suddenly 
dark — the stars quietly shining overhead — the school- 
house a gloomy spectacle, not enlivened by a solitary- 
light. Under the natural impression that such a change 
could not have been so perfectly accomplished in so 
short a time, he rubbed his eyes to ascertain if anything 
had interfered with his vision, but nothing satisfied the 
search. He next ran to the door, thinking that the 
scholars, if they had, as was by no means usual, col- 
lected for a jollification, might have been induced to 
extinguish the lights upon hearing that he approached. 
The opening of the school-door, and standing in the 
midst of the room, was the work of an instant, but a 
work which increased the wonder of Dods, as nothing 
was visible but, empty benches, barely seen, and not a 
stir was heard. This was a variation in the manifesta- 
tions for which the family were unprepared, and the 
mere rappings dwindled to nothing in its presence. But 



.^ 



262 THE RAPPERS. 



the rapping was also susceptible of a variation, and soon 
declared itself like a heavy metal ball rolling along the" 
attic, and reverberating through the whole house. Not 
content with this change, a new phase was adopted, in 
the turning of tables, stirring of beds, running hither 
and thither of lights, and endless other similar singular 
demonstrations. The scene of these phenomena was 
visited by so many persons, that the Clerk of the County 
Courts, with his assistants, deemed it his duty to attend 
at the spot, and endeavor to detect and expose the trick, 
if a trick were detectable. Mr. Dods permitted them 
to select their own apartment, where they were left in 
quiet possession about 9 o'clock in the evening. Hav- 
ing taken every necessary precaution, and seen that it 
was impossible for any human being to be concealed in 
the chamber, or able to obtain admission without their 
knowledge ; having also narrowly examined the entire 
apartment, and found it free from all machinery, — they 
retired, without having extinguished the candle. Soon 
afterwards, bed and bed-clothes grew so unmanageable, 
and went through so many strange freaks, that these 
men, without obtaining the slightest clue to the mystery, 
gave up the adventure and its object as hopeless. It 
was said, that in the absence of Mr. Dods the manifes- 
tations did not occur. 

Many cases of the like sort occurred in various parts, 
creating considerable excitement, but it was not until 
the year 1848, that they reached their culminating point. 
At this time certain mysterious noises were heard in 
the family of John D. Fox, at Rochester, New York, 



THE BAPPERS. 263 

and the fame thereof soon spread through the country. 
Crowds flocked to the residence of the Foxes, and the 
knockings increased in frequency and force inside the 
house, while wonder and speculation increased in the 
same proportion, both far and near, outside the humble 
dwelling, which became a kind of knocking Mecca to which 
the eyes and steps of all the pilgrims of curiosity instinc- 
tively were turned. But this time, the raps were not 
suffered to die away and dissolve into air, without an 
attempt, at least, to nail them. By a long series of 
experiments, the raps meaning " yes," and the raps 
meaning " no," and the raps meaning " I don't know," 
" perhaps so," " may be so," and *' may be not," " doubt- 
ful," "partly so," and "partly not," were discovered, or 
rather figured out, by the Foxes, and the spirits now 
began to talk with the Foxes quite glibly, as far as 
monosyllables went. But discovery did not end here. 
Yankee ingenuity brought forth an alphabetical card, 
and the Foxes soon had an interesting school of spirits, 
in which they taught the spirits their letters. The spirits 
learned rapidly and could soon spell out whole sentences, 
for the edification of their mortal hearers. Arithmetic 
was taught them by card in the same manner, and soon 
the spirits, if a mortal pointed to a figure on the card, 
knew it in a moment, and rapped loudly their know- 
ledge thereof. From the alphabet and the arithmetical 
card, the spirits made suddenly a tremendous jump in 
their education, and seizing hold of the arms and hands 
of their favorites, galvanized them into a species of 
writing, which, to judge by its eccentric lines and curves, 



264 THE KAPPERS. 

might have been produced by the powers of another 
world, for no mortal keenness of perception, although 
as sinuous and twisting as that said to be possessed by 
mortal lawyers, could read it and give the interpreta- 
tion thereof. But the same power which galvanized 
the hands of the mediums into writing, seemed also to 
galvanize them into perception, and no sooner was the 
writing produced than the mediums read it as plain as 
print. And thus the spiritual mediums write and read 
at the present moment, with perhaps a little improve- 
ment on the commencement. 

But the spirits, or rather the " rappers," did not stop 
at reading, writing, and arithmetic. As, after the Fox 
development at Eochester, knockings and raps and tip- 
ping tables became frequent all over the country, there 
was added another phase of progress in this so called 
spiritual phenomena. The spirits began to speak 
through mediums, dance through the mediums, and roll 
and tumble about through the mediums. In other 
words, the so called spirits " took possession" of the 
mediums, spoke through them, and performed all man- 
ner of antics through them. And at this point of spir- 
itual rapping history, the phenomena of ancient demon- 
ology, witchcraft, and entrancement, joins, and becomes 
blended with, the phenomena of ancient rappings and 
table tipping. And thus blended, in our opinion, they 
stand now, and stood when we made our visit among 
the "Rappers," the particulars of which are recorded in 
the first part of this volume. 



THE EAPPEKS. 265 

Looking back on our visits among the " Spirit Cir- 
cles" as they are called, and asking our readers also to 
take the same retrospective glance in the faithful de- 
scription we have given of the scenes witnessed by us, 
we are struck, at the first start, and we think our read- 
ers will likewise be struck in the same manner, with the 
incongruity of rapping, tapping, and entranced manifes- 
tations, with the idea that these manifestations emanate 
from spirits. Did we actually, we said to ourself, come 
in contact with a spirit 1 were we in actual communi- 
cation with the departed of eartji, disrobed of their gross 
corporeal forms, and standing around us, shadowy and 
invisible, but still whole and perfect forms of spiritual 
existence, talking to us or others near us, making them- 
selves manifest and uniting palpably, as it were, the 
land of spirits with the land of mortals 1 If it were so, 
it was a grand and awful circle for us or any other mortal 
to be in. If it were so, would not some invisible power 
of awe, and grandeur, and reverence, have chained the 
soul of every one present ? Would not the atmosphere, 
if we may so express ourself, of the land of spirits, have 
filled the room, and every head been bent in involuntary 
attention ? We think so. But our head was not bent, 
— our soul was chained by no invisible power, — we felt 
no atmosphere of spirit land. Gladly would we have 
breathed such an atmosphere, — gladly would we have 
had our soul enchained by such a power, — ^joyfully would 
we have bowed our head to listen to those whom we had 
loved on earth. We were passive, — open to the slight- 
est impression, but the atmosphere of the spirit land 



THE EAPPEES. 

was not there, — there was no spirit power or chain to 
bend our head or bind our soul either in respect, in awe, 
or fear. It is easy for a believer in rapping manifesta- 
tions to say, that we were not in a state to be im- 
pressed, that we were too "positive," that we were an 
unbeliever, or even a scoffer, but this, in opinion, 
amounts to nothing ; if we had been in actual commu- 
nication with spirits,— if spirits had actually come to 
earth to talk to us, manifest themselves to us, and were 
actually in the room with us for that purpose, we should 
have been made to feel, else why did they enact the 
farce of coming ? No, we did not feel, — there was no 
spirit power or chain upon us from the fact of the in- 
congruity of the manner of the manifestation with the 
idea of spirits. So far from either respect or awe, or 
fear being upon us, our mind involuntarily, as we sat at; 
the table and heard the sounds thereon, reverted back 
to the negro melody which we had often heard at 
Woods' and Christy's Minstrels, the most remarkable, 
line of which is — 

" Who's dat knockin' at de door," 

And in this reversion of our thoughts we could not help 
coming to the conclusion that there was as much of the 
appearance of the influence of spirits about the stage of 
Woods' and Christy's Minstrel Hall as about the table 
of the " Spirit Circle," in which we were sitting. 

It-cannot be! this very low, vulgar, ludicrous, and at 
times, revolting manner of the alleged spirit manifesta- 
tions, by means of knocks, rapping-tables, and coutort- 



THE RAPPEK8. 267 

ing the bodies of the Mediums, proves, at the very start, 
a fatal objection to, and repels the mind against, the 
idea that spiritual intelligences have any connection with 
the matter. 

'' But," perhaps, says the reader, " is it not strange 
that when a number of names of living and dead persons 
are written on slips of paper, carefully folded up and 
placed upon the table by the questioner, who alone 
knows what the names are, is it not strange that the 
table will tip or rap at the right one"?" 

It is very strange at first sight, w^e admit, but expe- 
rience among " Spirit Circles," such as we have had, 
will prove that in this matter of picking out names, the 
wrong ones are about as often designated by the raps or 
tips, as the right ones, which fact robs the phenomenon 
of some of its strangeness, and throws about it an air of 
chance which does not speak much, to say the least of 
it, for spiritual knowledge. The same remark applies 
to the telling of ages, places of death, diseases, &c,, as 
designated by raps or tips when the questioner writes 
them down on a slip of paper, and points wath his 
pencil as w^e have described in the first book of this 
volmne. 

"But" again, says the reader, "is there not some- 
thing mysterious in the many communications written 
by Mediums, in the speeches made by them when in a 
state of entrancement, and do not these writings and 
speeches exhibit an intelligence outside of and beyond 
the Mediums themselves V 

In a few instances, we admit we have seen communi- 



268 THE RAPPERS. 

cations written by Mediums, and heard speeches deli- 
vered by them, which were characterized by a mystery 
which we cannot pretend wholly to fathom ; but in the 
majority of the written communications and the speeches 
which we have read and heard, there was nothing but 
what any mortal might write or speak — the general 
character of all communications and speeches professing 
to come from spirits, are, as far as our experience goes, 
either common letters of affection, and addressed gene- 
rally " dear mother," " dear daughter," or " dear fa- 
ther," &c., as the case may be, but with no names 
either of addresser or addressed, especially when the 
communication is a first one ; or else they are rhapso- 
dies, written and spoken and characterized by a collec- 
tion of fine words, and nothing but words, about the 
beauty of the spirit land, the future triumph of spirtual- 
ism, and rejoicings that the subject is awakening so 
much attention. As to conveying any tangible infor- 
mation of practical benefit, or giving tests that the spi- 
rits speaking or writing are the spirits of those they 
represent themselves to be, our experience has been 
that such information or such tests are rarely given ; on 
the contrary the so called spirits are positively ugly on 
this point. They will write whole sheets of foolscap, 
and talk by the hour on all sorts of subjects where words 
only are needed, but ask them to write or speak one 
word^ which will convey a test of their identity, and 
they are silent. The proof of the above remarks will 
be found in a careful examination of our tour among the 
" Rappers." 



THE RAPPEES. 269 

" But," again says the reader, " can you explain that 
scene of exorcism in your visit among the " Rappers," 
in which it is represented that an evil spirit is cast out 
of the young girl Medium?" 

The scene certainly looks very startling on its face, 
but we think the explanation is easy. The girl Medium 
was simply in a pscychological state, and the mind of 
him, at whose command she returned to her natural 
state, was stronger than hers, and according to rules of 
pscychological science, produced therefore the effect 
which we witnessed and have described. 

There is another point on v/hich we have to remark, 
in connection with our experience among the Rappers, 
and that is, that we have often noticed in our own visits, 
particularly among the public Mediums, that the Me- 
diums had power to stop the raps or tips at their will. 
We have noticed more than once, that when the time 
devoted to sittings was up, or when a Medium did not 
appear to be in a very good humor, or seemed in a 
hurry to have the visitors leave, the raps suddenly 
stopped, and there was spelt out, or written out, " good 
night," or " good bye," or " good morning," &c., as 
the case might be. There was no use of trying to get 
manifestations, after such latter manifestoes from the- 
spirits as the above. We do not mean by this to charge 
trick on the part of the Mediums, for we believe that 
the raps and tips which we heard and saw in the pre- 
sence of the Mediums referred to, were not produced by 
any trick ; but we mean only to say that the raps and 
tips are under the control of the Medium, which proves 



270 THE KAPPEKS. 

to our mind conclusively, that the raps and tips are 
something emanating from, and are a part and parcel 
of, the Mediums, how or in what manner they may not 
know themselves, but still such an inherent, although 
mysterious power, belonging to them, and which they 
control, as proves that the raps and tips belong to them 
alone, and spirits have nothing to do with the produc- 
tion. We think, in fact, that this power of the Mediums 
to control the noises and the tables, although there is 
no trick in the matter, one of the most convincing proofs 
of the absence of all spiritual influence. And the Me- 
diums can also control their hands and entrancements in 
the same manner. At least, so we think, from all w^e 
have seen, and we have looked pretty sharply. If they 
resist the influence that is seizing their hand to write, or 
twisting their eyes and bodies into a trance, we have 
often noticed that neither trance or writing came. And 
we have again noticed them gliding into both with all 
the ease possible, as if they wished to do so, and knew 
they would not be disappointed. 

Another singular development in this rapping pheno- 
mena strikes us as we look back on our visits among the 
" Spirit Circles." If the reader will peruse carefully 
our account, he will find in the communications of the 
alleged spirits, such a collection of contradictions and 
direct foolish lies, as any sane mortal would be ashamed 
to utter. If they are spirits who utter these contradic- 
tions and lies, then demonology and witchcraft are true 
to the letter, and these spirits called up by modern Eap- 
pers are devils. But we do not believe that spirits of 



THE RAPPERS. 271 

any kind are connected with this phenomena. We be- 
lieve the whole mystery is in the still unexplained mys- 
teries of magnetism, electricity, clairvoyance and pschy- 
cology, or rather in the mysterious mixture, if we may 
so express ourself, of the whole of these. 

It is not to be doubted but that animal magnetism 
(and, as a matter of course, most of its modern adjuncts) 
has been familiar to the world under other names, and 
in the forms of demonology, witch-mania, and the rest. 

This mesmeric phenomenon renders the patient insen- 
sible to pain. It is in fact antalgic ; but, in return, it 
asserts mastery over the human individual will. The 
clairvoyant has a capacity for speaking languages the 
person has never known — for observing organic diseases 
in others — for seeing beyond the limits of vision^ — for 
the faculty of sharing in some way the thoughts of 
others, or of anticipating them — for resisting the action 
of fire, for a period at least — for being in effect the 
agent that acts between the immaterial and the material 
worlds. The clairvoyant cannot explain the theory, or 
give a lucid reason for such. The operator is as little 
able, except by conjecture, comparison, and the like. 

This condition may be produced spontaneously. By 
fixing the eye upon an object, by concentrating the 
thought upon an idea, by isolating one's self in the com- 
pletest manner from all surrounding and extraneous 
things, the state of semi-trance may be induced. It is 
thus that a concentration of the magnetic fluid is gath- 
ered or absorbed, and the results are in like proportion. 
A writer plausibly asserts that this must have been the 



272 THE RAPPEKS. 

foundation of the epidemic manias, and that the con- 
tagion multiplied in its intensity of communication, as 
the numbers increased, and the magnetic electricity 
became centered among them. 

We cannot but agree with those who refer to elec- 
tricity as the generator and true motive-power of the 
whole phenomena, witnessed and detailed ; though the 
manifestations that are produced are in so many ways 
dissimilar to all known developments of that fluid. 
" This interior concussion of particles," says an intelli- 
gent examiner of the system, " which occurs in the 
ordinary sounds (rapping, &c.,) can be attributed to no 
other cause than the permeation and action of some 
subtle essence analogous to electricity. It is, accord- 
ingly, another important fact, that persons of delicate 
nerves can generally feel abundant evidence of the 
action of such an essence, while the phenomena in 
question are occurring. 

That the system is capable of gathering within it, and 
of giving out by contact, or by distant affinity, currents 
of the electric fluid, is now a matter, we think, beyond 
question. This is termed vital electricity, and of a kind 
that is not evolved in the common and usual develop- 
ments of that agent. It is controllable by the mind of 
another as often as it may be ; and certainly more so 
under the control of the person himself, especially if, in 
addition to a susceptible organization, the strength of 
will is more than usually marked. In this case, how- 
ever, a "reflex current is also continuously running 
back to the brain, to convey to it the consciousness of 



THE KAPPERS. 273 

the act with the hand. In the case of the so-called 
spirit-meetings, although the act may have originated in 
the individual's own brain, and a current passed to the 
hand, dictating the performance of certain acts or mo- 
tions, yet no current returns to convey an idea of the 
performance of such acts by the hand. The current 
may be supposed to pass off from the person ;" and, 
reasoning from this, it may be assumed that this " de- 
tached vital electricity" may operate much in like 
manner on the system of another. 

It is, therefore, this vital electricity, this odylic fluid, 
that should now occupy the attention of the learned, of 
the earnest, of the seeker after truth, unless we are con- 
tent to stop short at the advent of a strange and unac- 
countable agent, and leave it to take its course ; the 
foolish to be deluded, the credulous to believe anything, 
and the indifferent to see a perilous matter growing to 
a head. By diligent observation and inquiry something 
more that we yet lack must ultimately be found out ; 
that something may lead us to the final principle which 
now eludes us. To the solution of this many years 
to come must be dedicated. And in future years, 
we doubt not, that the whole of the " Eappers" will 
be clearly- explained on such scientific principles as 
will sweep away all ideas of spiritual agency in the 
matter. What science now reveals on this subject, 
only in part, will be opened in full ; although the world 
may continue full of " rappings" of various kinds, 
spirit rappings will be no more. 
12* 



274 THE EAPPERS. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE RELIGION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE RELIGION OP 
RAPPERS. 

The religion, of which Jesus Christ was the great 
founder and teacher, is simple and sublime. It is not 
our province, neither is it our purpose, to enter into ar- 
gumentative details of this religion, or give the various 
phases of doctrine which it assumes among the many 
different sects of its disciples. We design rather to ex- 
hibit it briefly in its principal features, and by way of 
contrast to another religion which has been developed 
in the nineteenth century, — we design simply to place, 
side by side, the religion of Christ and the religion of 
Rappers. 

The text book of the religion of Jesus Christ is the 
Bible. It is claimed by Christians, that this Bible is 
the inspired word of God to man, spoken by God him- 
self to prophets, and by them recorded, — spoken by the 
Son of God himself, while living on earth as a man, to 
his apostles, and by them also written down. It mat- 
ters not, as far as it regards the view we are now taking, 
that this claim for the foundation of the Christian reli- 
gion has been disputed by many in all ages of the world. 
Disputed or undisputed, one fact stands out bold and 



THE RAPPEES. 275 

incontrovertible — no sophistry can sweep it away, and 
no denunciation can lessen its force. That fact is, that the 
origin claimed for the Christian religion, and the foun- 
dation on which it is made to rest, are in themselves 
sublime — just such an origin and a foundation as a reli- 
gion, by which man is to live and die, should have — 
the direct w^ord of God to man, w^ritten, it is true, by 
mortals, but dictated to the writers by God himself, — 
a sacred charter of faith, delivered to man by no se- 
condary spirit from a lower sphere of the spirit w'orld, 
but dictated to man, and signed, sealed, and delivered 
to man, by God himself, sitting on his throne in the 
highest of the heavens. So much for the origin of the 
Religion of Christ as claimed by its believers. 

The rehgion of Jesus Christ teaches than man is two- 
fold — mortal and immortal — mortality for this world, 
and immortality for the world of spirits. It believes, 
that when the body dies, it returns to dust, while the 
soul passes into another world — the souls of the believ- 
ing and the righteous into a world of bliss, and the souls 
of the unbelieving and wicked into a world of misery. 
It teaches that when the designs of God shall be accom- 
plished in regard to the human race, that then there 
shall come a day of general resurrection, when the 
bodies of all men shall rise from their graves and be 
united to their souls — and that then body and soul 
umted, all men shall stand before God in general judg- 
ment—the believers and the righteous to be received 
into Heaven, and the unbelieving and the wicked to be 
turned into Hell. A particular and literal description 



276 THE KAPPEES. 

of the place of departed spirits, between the death of 
the body and the general resurrection, and of the Heaven 
and the Hell which follows the general judgment, is not 
given in the Bible — the only description that the Bible 
gives is figurative language, expressing the greatest mi- 
sery and the highest happiness. And it is not necessary 
for us here to enter into any of the many speculations 
which have been broached on the subject of the particu- 
lar nature of the place of departed spirits, and of the 
Heaven and Hell, set forth in the Bible— the great doc- 
trine is one of future rewards and punishment, and this 
is all with which we have now to do, in giving this brief 
synopsis of the religion of Christ. 

And this religion of Jesus Christ has also a spirit 
doctrine, the most sublime and holy in its nature. It 
teaches that a Holy Spirit, not an indefinite impulse 
or essence of good, but a real Spirit, equal with the 
Father and the Son, is ever around and in man to impel 
him forward to good, and deter and save him from evil — 
even the spirit of the Holy Ghost. It teaches that man's 
soul and body are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and 
that the Holy Ghost will not leave that temple, unless 
driven from it by man himself, through acts of wicked- 
ness and sin. Thus, according to the doctrine of the 
Christian religion, God himself, in the presence of the 
Holy Ghost, is a spirit ever dwelling in man, talking to 
him and communicating with him ; it is no secondary 
spirit, but the spirit of God himself, which manifests 
itself to man in man, and man can at any time call 
that spjrit up and hold communion with it. Can any 



THE RAPPEES. 277 

spirit doctrine be more sublime than this? Again, it is 
an old belief among, we believe, almost every sect of 
Christians, that the Bible, although it does not directly 
teach, leaves the reader to draw a fair inference, that all 
men have continually about them a guardian spirit, an 
invisible but still real personal spirit, not of a departed 
mortal friend, but a pure immortal spirit of Heaven, 
guarding and watching over them, and ever striving on. 
one side of man to counteract the influence of an evil 
spirit — the devil, which is ever walking on the other 
side. 

This religion of Jesus Christ stops not here in the 
mere promulgation of certain doctrines for belief. It 
erects a form of government for Christians in their re- 
ligious belief, binds them together in a church, with 
Christ for its head, and laws and ordinances for its go- 
vernance, and thus makes that religion one of order and 
combined practical eifect. 

Centuries on centuries have rolled on, and this religion 
of Christ has prevailed over a large part of the world. 
Its practical w^orking has been of such a nature as to ele- 
vate the human race higher, and make them better than 
any other form of religion has ever yet done. It has 
been at once a restraint from evil and an incentive to 
good, and millions have died attesting its truth with 
their dying breath. Shall it be swept away 1 shall it be 
injured in the slightest degree, in its integrity, by a new 
religion ? Not unless the new religion is better and can 
produce higher claims for belief than the old. The re- 
ligion of the " Rappers" proposes to sweep it away, for 



278 THE KAPPEKS. 

it discards it and seeks to introduce a substitute. What 
is that substitute ? Let us see. 

The religion of the Rappers has no text-book, has 
no Bible, no charter, and it claims none. But does it 
not claim an origm, a foundation, from which it springs ? 
Yes, and the origin and the foundation are, raps pro- 
duced by invisible agency on tables, walls, &c., tables 
tipping up in all manner of ludicrous ways, speeches 
through entrancemeiit, and writings through the involun- 
tary movement of the hand. And what produces the 
raps, the tips, the speeches of entrancement and the 
writing ? Do the Rappers claim that God, through the 
raps and tips, the entrancement and the writing, speaks 
to man? No. Do they claim, that spirits from around 
the throne of God, and sent by God, speak to man in 
this singular manner '? No. In the religion of the Rap- 
pers, the sublime doctrine of God speaking to man, is 
cast aside — as far as we have learned the doctrine of the 
Rappers, God has nothing to do with the manifestations. 
The Rappers say, that the raps, the tips, the entrance- 
ment, and the writing, so far from being produced by 
God, or spirits which have never been mortal, are pro- 
duced only by the spirits of those who have once been 
mortal, but who have departed this life, or " left the 
form," as they say — that some of these spirits are good, 
some undeveloped or rather half bad, but progressing to 
be better, and that all of them, through the language of 
raps and tips, as reduced to an alphabet by mortals, 
and though speeches of entrancement and written com- 
munications speak to man, sometimes the truth, some- 



THE EAPPERS. 279 

times lies, sometimes in contradiction of themselves, 
often in a jocular and humbugging way, often in a mys- 
tified manner, and sometimes in a strain of sublimity — 
a strange mixture of material rapping, turning over of 
tables, ringing of bells, rhapsodies of speech, and galva- 
nic writing. And yet such is the origin of, such the 
foundation on which rests that religion of "Rappers,'* 
which seeks to invalidate the religion of Jesus Christ. 
As it regards the origin and foundation claimed by both 
religions, we can only say — look on this picture and 
look on that — the Bible direct from God himself on the 
one hand — knocks, dancing tables, and misty entrance- 
ments on the other. 

The religion of the Rappers teaches nothing more nor 
less than practical materialism. The scriptures are set 
aside with the most sublime indifference — there is no 
heaven, no hell, no future reward or punishment — all 
restraint from acting just as they choose, while here on 
earth, is taken, by this religion, from mortals — sin at 
pleasure, for the mortal man here is but an immatu- 
rity of development which shall become perfect in the 
spirit land. The religion of Rappers is thus an apolo- 
gist for sin. If a man has been good on earth, it is all 
the better for him when he dies and enters the fanciful 
collection of spheres into which the Rappers divide the 
spirit world. If he has been a bad man on earth, why 
then it will not be quite so well for him at last ; but it 
will not be very bad, and the progression in the spheres 
will eventually make it extremely good. On this ac- 
commodating system of the sphere, hinges all the reli- 



280 THE RAPPERS. 

gion of the Rappers. The following description of the 
spheres is in the words of the Rappers themselves : 
" Commencing at the earth's centre, and proceeding 
outward in all directions, the surrounding space is di- 
vided into seven concentric spheres, rising one above and 
outside the other. Each of these seven ' spheres' or 
spaces is again divided into seven equal parts, called 
' circles,' so that the whole ' spirit-world' consists of an 
immense globe of ether divided into seven spheres, and 
forty-nine circles, and in the midst of which our own 
globe is located. * * * The good, bad, and indif- 
ferent qualities of the spirits located in these seven sepa- 
rate spheres are carefully classified. ^ * * Those 
of the first sphere are said to be endowed with wisdom, 
wholly selfish, or seeking selfish good. 2nd. Wisdom 
controlled by popular opinion. 3rd. Wisdom inde- 
pendent of popularity, but not perfected. 4th. Wisdom 
which seeks others' good, and not evil. 5th. Wisdom 
in purity. 6th. Wisdom in perfection, to prophesy. 
7th. Wisdom to instruct all others of less wisdom. 
According to the new philosophy, when a man dies, his 
soul ascends at once to that sphere for which it is fitted 
by knowledge and goodness on earth; and from that 
point ascends or progresses outward from circle to 
circle, and from sphere to sphere, increasing in knowl- 
edge and happiness as it goes, till it reaches the seventh 
circle of the seventh sphere, which is the highest degree 
of knowledge and bliss to which it is possible to attain 
in the spirit-world. They assert that heaven is beyond 
all the spheres, and represent the change from the 



THE EAPPEPiS. 281 

seventh sphere to heaven, as equivalent to the change 
from the life on earth to a dwelling in the lower spheres. 
They are ever advancing and growing better. They 
can descend through all the intervening sphx^:es to the 
rudimental, and help their tardy brethren iqj ; yet their 
lower or vulgar spirits can never pull their more ad- 
vanced brethren down." 

The Rapping religion also speaks of a high degree of 
social affability existing among the dwellers of the 
zones — music, dancing, together with very praise- 
worthy efforts in the educational rudiments of reading, 
writing, and the like. There is " no marrying, or given 
in marriage," among them, but every spirit "has its 
partner of the opposite sex." They have seldom been 
united upon earth, a fact that implies a love of harmony, 
and a distaste to recommence any past connubial bick- 
ering that may have existed. These partners, how^ever, 
have, for the most part, known each other, been inti- 
mates, friends, &c. We are also told by this religion 
of the rappers, that the spirits " have the power of cre- 
ating whatever they desire. Whatever robes they de- 
sire to wear, they possess w^ith the wish. They paint, 
sculpture, write, or compose music, and their produc- 
tions are as tangible to them, as ours to us. The artist 
by means of his will, paints a picture, and shows it to 
his friends, as really as it is on earth ; and the poet 
writes, and^ finds admirers of his verses, as he would 
here. They enjoy w^hatever they desire, and this is one 
of the sources of their happiness. They eat fruit, or 
whatever they incline to, and indulge their appetites — 



282 THE KAPPEKS. 

not however, from necessity ; they never feel hunger or 
thirst, or cold jQX heat. * * * If they wish for ft 
harp, they at once possess it, and it is a reality — a tan- 
gible thing, and, to their perception, as much a material 
substance as the things we handle here. 

The Rappers have no church, no reducing into govern- 
mental form their religion, no ordinances, no exercises 
of religion to elevate man from earth to heaven. The 
Rapper has no prayer ; at least this is the legitimate 
tendency of the religion taught by Rappers. The legs 
of a table and entrancements and spirit-writings are both 
the Rapper's church and his religious services, his 
priest, and his ordinances. As for prayer, why should 
he pray ? 

We have done. We consider the religion of the 
Rappers to be blasphemy, and all its manifestations 
delusions. What its tendency must be, when thus it 
throws off all restraint from man, can easily be seen. 
Whether it is worthy either in sublimity, in appearance 
of truth, or in the least element of practical good, to 
supersede the religion of Jesus Christ, we leave the 
reader to judge for himself, from the picture of contrast 
which we have drawn. 



FINIS. 



THE LAWYER'S STORl 

OE, 

THE ORPHAN'S ¥ROI&S. 

BY A MEMBER OF THE NEW-YORK BAR. 

3Seautif ulla? Kllustrateti. 



The publishers have great pleasure in introducing this work to the 
public. As a family novel it is unexceptionable, while it will be found 
equally interesting and amusing by the casual reader. No tale has ever 
been written which has attained greater popularity or been more eagerly 
sought for while in the course of serial publication. The perusal of the 
introductory remarks will satisfy the reader that the Lawyer's Story con- 
tains incident of more than common interest. 

Some time ago, the following paragraph, copied from 
an English provincial newspaper, appeared in the New 
York Sunday Dispatch^ and other journals of wide circu- 
lation : — 

A Mysterious Affair. — We find the following 
curious story in one of our English exchanges, and as it 
relates to a couple of Americans, we give it a place :— 
" The quiet little town of Hemmingford Abbotts, near 
St. Ives, Huntingtonshire, was recently visited by a 
young lady and gentleman from the United States, 



IV PREFACE. 

Tinder circumstances that have created considerable ex- 
citement in the neighborhood. The parties are brother 
and sister, and we believe are contestants for the large 
property known as the Fitzherbert Manor Lands, situ- 
ated in this county, which estates have for a long time 
been in dispute. As will be recollected, this property 
was formerly Crown Land, and was given by George the 
Fourth, when Prince Eegent, to Herbert Fitzherbert, 
Esq., who subsequently went to America. The right of 
the Prince to bestow Crown Land was contested, and the 
estate thrown into chancery. Herbert Fitzherbert died, 
we believe, in the United States, and his heirs at law, 
after the decision of the long contested suit, entered into 
possession of the property. These heirs were a son and 
daughter. The arrival of the new contestants for this 
prof)erty created quite a stir among the fashionable cir- 
cles. So far, however,, but little has leaked out in refer- 
ence to the real object of our trans- Atlantic visitors, who 
created the unusual stir in the locality above indicated. 
One of our reporters called at the Hotel at which the 
strangers stopped, to gather the particulars, if possible, 
but found the parties had taken their departure very 
mysteriously, no one at the hotel having the slightest 
intimation of their business or their present whereabouts. 
It is said, upon what authority we know not, that a dis- 
tinguished attorney from London accompanied them, 
and that some parties were subpoenaed to attend a pri- 
vate examination, but failed to appear, and have not 
since been heard of by their friends. Altogether there 
appears to be considerable mystery about this affair." 

Shortly afterwards, a letter was received by the editor 
of the Disjpatch from a Ketired member of the New York 



PREFACE. V 

Bar, who stated that he was perfectly acquainted with 
the history of the incident so mysteriously alluded to in 
the English journals, and Avho is the author of the nar- 
rative published by the title of the "Lawyer's Story," 
or the " Orphan's Wrongs." 

Few narratives have surpassed the Lawyer's simple 
story in the intense interest it has excited. The atten- 
tion of the reader is arrested immediately upon com- 
mencing the first chapter, and once having been com- 
menced, the tale is read on with continually increasing 
interest to its conclusion. 

The following is the letter alluded to, in which the 
author gives permission to the Editor of the Bisjpatch to 
publish the narrative : — 



To the Editor of the . 

Sir : — Noticing in the last number of the Suyiday Dis- 
patch^ a paragraph copied from a Huntingtonshire (Eng- 
land) newspaper, headed a " Mysterious Affair," in which 
two Americans, brother and sister, are spoken of as 
playing a prominent part, I beg to inform you that I 
have had an intimate knowledge of the parties alluded 
to for the last ten years, and that I was the first person 
to cause an investigation to be made into their claims. 
For a short period also, I was professionally engaged in 
the case. I therefore can partially clear up the "Mys- 
tery " in which the matter, according to the reporter of 
the English paper, is involved. If you think proper I 
give you permission to publish the accompanying man- 
uscript, containing the facts woven together in the form 



VI PKEFACE. 

of a narrative. I have no interest in tlie matter ; but as 
will be explained, my sympathies were from the first 
naturally enough enlisted in behalf of the American con- 
testants, whose claims I considered indisputable, and 1 
therefore watched every action pro and con that took 
place regarding their cause. Having retired from active 
practice, some six years since, I have made this case 
my hobby, and have but lately returned from Europe, 
where my services have voluntarily been rendered in be- 
half of the brother and sister. I am happy to say that 
the case has, after an arduous struggle, been decided in 
their favor, and that, so far as I know, they are now in 
secure and happy possession of the property it . was 
sought to deprive them of. However, as I presume 3?'ou 
will find the narrative to contain suf&cient incident, and 
to possess sufficient interest to justify its publication, 
I will not anticipate the story. I give you my name in 
order to satisfy you that my statements are to be relied 
on ; but it is not perhaps necessary that you should 
publish it, therefore I sign myself, 

A Eetired Member of the New Yoek Bar. 
February 6th, 1853. 

The Lawyer's Story is published in one volume, paper covers, 50 cents, 
or bound in cloth, 75 cents. Copies mailed, on receipt of price, (post paid'' 
addressed 

H LONG & BROTHER, 

121 NASSAU STREET. 



TH.B GIIEATEST MOillA^XKS OF MOI>EItlV ©AYS! 



Sixpericr to "Talraitisie Vox," (Complete.) 

THIi SISTERS; 

OJi, 

THE FATAL MAEHIAGES. 

BY HENRY COCKTON, 

ADTHOB OF " VALENTINE VOX," " THE STEWARD," " SYLVESTEB, SOUND," ETC. 
ILLUSTRATED FROM THE ENGLISH EDITION. 

The evils of an ill-assorted ma-rriage are so truthfully and strikingly depicted in this 
work, that it cannot fail to \exercise a beneficial influence upon society. At the same time, 
the book is written with every excellency of style, all that simplicity, and beauty of dic- 
tion, and interest of plot and narrative which peculiarly distinguishes Mr Cockton. — Lon- 
don Morning Post. 

The author of "Valentine Vox" has fairly eclipsed himself in the present work. — JV*ew 
Monthly. 

We are always delighted with Cockton's writings; tliey dress useful truths in such en- 
chantment, that we cherish their good and wholesome influences as food congenial to the 
soul. His present work, " The Sisters," is not excelled by any previous effort. — Exami- 
ner. Price 50 cents. 

THE STEWiLRB: 

A EOMANCE OF EEAL LIFE. 

BY HENRY COCKTON, 

AUTHOR OF "SYLVESTER SOUND," "VALENTINE VOX," "THE SISTERS," ETC. 
ILLUSTRATED FROM THE ENGLISH EDITION. 

The Steward. — This is a most fascinating work, a vivid and truthful picture of real 
life, told in a style of simplicity and pathos worthy of Oliver Goldsmith. — AthencBum. 

We became intensely interested in this novel, which in style, and somewhat in incident 
and narrative, reminded us strongly of the Vickar of Wakefield. The characters are 
drawn with artistic skill so jierfect, that they at once enlist our feelings as if in real life. 
How we despise the hypocrite George; what loathing his deep villany inspires ! How 
we admire the noble, true-hearted old Sir John, the manly, generous, gay-spirited Charles ; 
and how we love gentle Mrs. Wardle, and the sweet confiding Juliana. In truth, it is a 
most refreshing book — an oasis in the literature of the day. — Lon. Q_uarterly. Price 50cts. 

K B M M E T H: 

A EOMAjSTCE of the HIGHLANDS. 

BY C. W. M. REYNOLDS, 

AUTHOE, OF " MYSTERIES OF THE COURT OF NAPLES," " COURT OF LONDON," ETC. 
WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. 

There has never been a more successful laborer in the fruitful field of Scottish Ro- 
mance, than our author. The wild and fearful superstitions of the Highlands are depicted 
with terrible force, yet clothed in all 'ihe fascination and attractiveness of Reynolds' un- 
rivalled style. — Spectator. 

The Legends of Scotland have ni»-er found a more powerful delineator than our author; 
and "Kennetli," which in style is worthy of "Sir Walter Scott," and in incident and in- 
terest rivals the celebrated "Scottish Chiefs," will take first rank in the library of Scottish 
romance. — Weekly Times. 

H. LONG & BROTHER, 

4 Ausi-street, N&Xir irorli;* 



Copies mailed, on receipt of the above prices (post paid). 



j^ I^o'c^r I^ools. ffoa.* o-^t-gst-^ I^^MaaJJLy. 



MRS. HALE'S 




EHOLD RECEIPT BOOK, 



CONTAINING 



MAXIIVIS, DIRECTIONS, ANO SPECIFICS, 

FOR PROMOTING 

HEALTH, COMFOaT kW IMPROVEMENT 

IN THE 

HOMES OF THE PEOPLE. 



COMPILED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES, WITH MANY RECEIPTS NEVER BEFORB COLLKOTKD* 

BY SARAH JOSEPHA HALE, 

JkUTHOR OF "the NEW BOOK OF COOKERY," ETC. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

PART I..— Home and its Employments.— House Cleaning; Repairing Furniture; 
Washing; Mending Glass, Cliina, &c, ; Dyeing; Blacking, for Boots, Shoes, &c. ; To Destroy 
Insects; The Kitchen, &c. 

PART II.— Health and Beauty.— Rules for the Preservation of Health, and Simple 
Recipes, found often efficacious in common diseases and slight injuries; Directions for Pre- 
paring Remedies, and ministering to the Sick and Suffering ; The Toilet, or Hints and Sug- 
gestions for the Preservation of Beauty, with some useful Recipes for those who need them. 

PART III. — Home Pursuits and Domestic Arts. — Needle-VVork, Fancy Work; Pre- 
parations for Writing ; Flowers ; House-Plants; Birds; Gold Fish, &.c. 

PART IV.— Domestic Economy and Other Matters Worth Knowing.— Of the 
Different Kinds of Tea, Coffee, &.c. ; Preserving Fruits, Flowers, &c.; Caro of Fires, and 
other Hints. 

PART V,— Mistress, Mother, Nurse, and Maid.— In which are set forth the Prominent 
Duties of each department, and the most important Rules for the guidance and care of the 
Household. 

PART VI. — Hints about Agriculture, Gardening, Domestic Animals, &c. — Of 
Soil, Hay, and Grains; Of Vegetables; Destroying Reptiles, Rats, and other Vermin; 
Flowers; Fruits; Trees; Timber; Buildings, &c. 

PART VII — Miscellaneous. — Choice and Cheap Cookery; New Receipts; Southern 
Dishes; G^umbo, &c. ; Home-made Wines, &c. ; Dairy Coloring; Diet; Health; Books; 
Periodical; &c. 



H. 



Ileto |0rli : 

LONa & BROTHER, 

43 ANN STREET. 



PUBLISHED IN ONE VOLUME, CLOTH— PRICE. SLOO 



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